Novels like The Black Diary
Books Chinese readers most often put in the same booklists as The Black Diary, best match first.
- 1 The Crisp, Clear Wind 清冽的风 Lin Xiaoxia, a senior high school student with literary dreams, sees them slip away under the crushing pressure of the college entrance exam. Carrying her regrets and resentment with her, she enters an ordinary university and begins a new chapter in her life... —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 2 Love Is Hard, So Let’s Get Married 恋爱好难，不如结婚 This is a story about two girls. Defying her family’s objections, Yan Mo resolutely follows her boyfriend to Jincheng to make a life for themselves. But on Valentine’s Day, she discovers that her boyfriend of six years has been cheating on her. After the breakup, Yan Mo refocuses on her career and finds new love through her work. Ran Fei is Yan Mo’s best friend, and her life is an endless cycle of falling in love, getting her heart broken, and falling in love again. It isn’t until she meets Ding 2Reads—Score—14d adds
- 3 I Just Want to Run an Orphanage, So Why Won’t Everyone Leave Me Alone? 我只想办孤儿院怎么都来纠缠我 Zhang Xiaobei grew up in an orphanage and vowed to change its fortunes. He never expected to find love, wealth, and freedom along the way... [Childhood sweetheart: The soft-spoken girl who was bullied as a child has grown into a stubborn woman.] [Fated love: The senior who fell for him at first sight has found the man of her dreams, and loves him without reservation.] [Classical elegance: The refined, beautiful landlady is moved by his warmth and sincerity.] [Cold and aloof: The icy CEO’s heart 235Reads—Score—14d adds
- 4 Listening to Other People's Stories, Shedding My Own Tears 听着别人的故事，流着自己的眼泪 Thirty years of wind and rain: I've climbed mountains and crossed rivers, shed tears and endured pain, and even now I keep going. They say there is something called a magnetic field that can pass through mountains and leap across rivers, make time irrelevant, bring hearts together for warmth, and make emotions resonate. These days, the genuine feelings, true nature, and heartfelt sincerity born of other people's “pasts,” which have settled into my memories and even my life and continue to linger 13Reads—Score—14d adds
- 5 When Their Mutual Crush Goes Over the Top 双向暗恋的糖分超标时刻 The Sugar Rush of Mutual Unrequited Love follows Lu Bai and Su Qian from the tender crushes of their school days, stealing glances between classes and finding excuses to get close through club activities, as their feelings quietly take root; to the blossoming of their flirtation, when birthday surprises and caring for each other through illness help them confess their feelings; then to their headlong plunge into love, filled with sweet weekend dates and sitting side by side in class; and finally —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 6 Listening to Snow in Jiangcheng 在江城听雪 They meet in Jiangcheng for an appointment to listen to the snow~ They were senior and junior at university, went their separate ways after graduation, then let go of past grievances when they met again. They were also Dunhuang princess Song Fanyin and Han dynasty general Qi Dingchu in a radio drama, as well as Chang'an (A Man), sect leader of the Yun Yin Sect in the cultivation world, and Guli, young master of the Medical Sect… They met when they were young, weathered many storms, and grew into —Reads6.5Score—14d adds
- 7 I'm Not a Monster! 我不是怪物呀 I, Chen Dou'er, was born in the countryside with congenital defects: ears as small as beans and a cleft lip. Because I was ugly, I endured discrimination throughout my childhood and tasted every kind of hardship life had to offer. Fortunately, I was exceptionally gifted and had a remarkable aptitude for music and painting. Most importantly, I met benefactors when I was young. They pulled me out of the mire. Later, I moved to the city with my friends and won over countless audiences with my talen —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 8 A Glorious Return for Ruozhi 荣归若芷 “Love at first sight + weighing the pros and cons = you’re the best choice!” [Office worker × powerful playboy] A romance that gets straight to the point! Lin Ruozhi: “The Lin and Rong families have been family friends for generations, but you and I are from different worlds. I won’t marry someone I don’t like, who doesn’t like me either.” Rong Qi: “How do you know you won’t fall for me?” —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 9 That Year, the Rest of My Life 那年，余生 [Sweet Romance + Secret Crush + Mutual Devotion. The heroine is a feisty, adorable girl who takes on the world, while the hero is a cool, reserved, clingy sweetheart. Extra sweet: readers with diabetes, beware!] Ten years later, Xiao Yuanzhen still can't help falling for Lin Jinyi whenever she sees him again. But what can she do? Doesn't he already like someone else? After the college entrance exams, he went north and she went south. Ten years passed before they met again. Lin Jinyi: “I like you 1Reads—Score—14d adds
- 10 The Divorce Hotline 离婚电台 The Divorce Radio Station —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 11 The Tranquil Courtyard 清安小院 In middle age, I was laid off, and every page of my thick stack of medical reports was covered in red flags. I spent entire nights tossing and turning, my heart pounding with anxiety. So I sold the cramped city apartment where I’d spent half my life feeling stifled, and took my wife back to the old country house our ancestors had left us. While tidying the old house, I uncovered a family heirloom: an ancient book on food therapy. Along with the Daoist Iron Shirt and Longevity exercises, these we 40Reads—Score214d adds
- 12 Cat Life I 猫生I This is the story of a cat born in England and the life it lived. From escaping an unloving birth family to becoming a stray; from being adopted by humans several times to being abandoned again and again... For a time, it joins a stray-cat organization called “Northwest.” During its time with Northwest, it has all sorts of interesting adventures with the other cats. This book features many different animal organizations that together form a complex social system. The protagonist must survive in —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 13 Forty and Still No Worries About Getting Married 女人四十不愁嫁 [Urban slice of life + multiple heroines + love and marriage] Yu Hua loves her freedom and has spent nearly twenty years wandering far from home, yet she remains single. She feels her life is happy, but her family can't accept it. With her fortieth birthday fast approaching, her mother can no longer sit still and comes to stay by Yu Hua's side, treating every possible threat to her marriage like a crisis. Yu Hua's once-comfortable single life becomes fraught with anxiety. Lawyer Ning Jia plans t 50Reads—Score—14d adds
- 14 You Are the Morning Light 你是晨光 She is a top student with a story to tell, and he is the school's famous heartthrob. Their paths once ran parallel, but then the two teenagers crossed paths, got to know each other, and fell for each other. After middle school, he joined the military while she continued her studies. Years passed, and letters were their only connection. His love was reserved, deep, and tangled; hers was pure, wholehearted, and devoted. After countless heartbreaks, she decided to give up. Her parting words were: “ 2Reads—Score—14d adds
- 15 They All Call Me a Fool 他们都叫我傻子 [Childhood, school, love, memories, partings and deaths, reflections on life] When I was young, I thought that if I stuck with something, I could surely make it happen. Only later did I understand that everything ultimately comes down to fate. When Cao Lina and I hooked pinkies and made our promise, I was sure I could keep it. In the end, though, nothing went as I had hoped. When Han Jiayi told me, “I’ll wait for you at university,” all that awaited us in the end was a curtain call and a crowd d 3Reads—Score—14d adds
- 16 Half a Life as a Boy 男孩子的半生 It's strange, they say that those with no close relatives are destined for a hard life. Zihan never knew who his father was, and when he was six, his mother secretly hopped on a train and ran off to Shandong. From then on, Zihan was raised by his grandmother. She was running a steamed-bun shop with his eldest aunt, so neither of them really had time to look after him. When he reached school age, his uncle by marriage rode an old bicycle, taking Zihan and his older sister to preschool. From then —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 17 Girl, Dare to Move Forward 菇凉，请大胆向前走 This is a guide to the pitfalls women should avoid, and a book about women’s growth. It traces a girl’s transformation into a woman through every stage of life, from school and studies to mental well-being, internships, employment, marriage, childbirth, and raising children. Every moment holds a story, and every step brings a new realization. Only then can she become a complete woman, in every sense of the word. 1Reads—Score—14d adds
- 18 Flowers in Adversity 逆境花 For Zhou Yan, Ye Yunxi, and the others, work pressures and marital troubles at home had already left them physically and emotionally exhausted. Then the pandemic broke out, making their situation even worse. Facing adversity at work and in their personal lives, they were at times utterly drained, both physically and mentally. But they refused to give up. When faced with unemployment, pay cuts, marital problems, and more, they found positive ways to tackle each challenge. Through their own hard w 26Reads—Score—14d adds
- 19 That Autumn We Had Planned 原定那年秋 “Get lost, get lost, get lost! That’s embarrassing history! Don’t look!!” [Mutual salvation + two male leads + childhood sweethearts + campus romance + original settings] [Funny guy + depressed, clingy puppy] [The plot moves quickly, and their feelings develop quickly too] They met once before, but for some reason, they forgot each other. A twist of fate brings them together again. Not long after they meet for the second time, Shen Jiyu discovers the truth... He knows he doesn’t have long to —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 20 Hear His Voice One More Time 再听一次他的声音 Mutual redemption | Campus | Two male leads | Tragic ending In middle school, Shen Jiyu was dragged into a little corner by someone. He thought that if he just prepared himself, it would soon be over. He never expected a boy to stumble into his world. Later, he found out that the boy was named Xu Yan, and that he was friends with my younger brother, too. But Xu Yan and I didn't meet often. Later, when I started high school, I thought I wouldn't see him again, but it turned out he went to the sam —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 21 The Female Heart: A Study of Women’s Psychology 女人心一女性心理研究 Hello, everyone! Li Yuanrong, a healer with over 20 years of clinical counseling experience, an advanced practitioner of traditional Chinese medicine rehabilitation therapy, and an energy healer, has released a new psychological novel, A Woman’s Heart: A Study of Women’s Psychology. You’re welcome to read it on Tomato Novel. This new work explores the psychological traits and mental health of modern urban women, women’s personal development, infertility, family education, and family culture. It 48Reads—Score—14d adds
- 22 Living with You 和你一起住下去 A garden home in a lakeside community once held the most beautiful dreams of college student Xie Nan's radiant young love. Then, without warning, it became a crushing burden she couldn't bear to face. Seven years later, Xie Nan finally finds the courage to move into the house full of memories. With her neighbor Yu Mucheng's forceful intrusion and her ex-boyfriend Xiang Xinyang's sudden return, the beautiful and strong-willed Xie Nan faces her romantic scars head-on. How will she manage to stay h —Reads7.7Score—14d adds
- 23 Over 300 Million in Suspect Funds 涉案金额三个多亿 The amount involved exceeds 300 million —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 24 A Spring Flower Blooms 一朵春花开 A spring blossom blooms, and sorrow and pain fade away. How did the romance between Chen Jiayi, a photographer who has never been in a relationship, and Xie Ning, a restrained lawyer, begin? Perhaps when she looked at him. Perhaps when he warmed her heart. Perhaps when they became each other's light. They heal each other and learn how to love. “I don't know how to make someone happy.” “As long as you're by my side, that's happiness.” 12Reads—Score—14d adds
- 25 Foot Massage Is a Way, Technique Is a Method: Follow the Way of Nature 足道也是道手法也是法道法自然 A young man’s journey through love brings surprises and disappointments, laughter, and moments that leave him wanting to cry but unable to shed a tear. What is love, really… Perhaps it means being together forever, or perhaps it means having loved once. The answer lies in the hearts of all you fellow cultivators… —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 26 An Unlawful Marriage 不法婚姻 This is a slice-of-life story that doesn’t follow conventional web-novel genre formulas. One unmarried woman is devoted to a married man, while another woman, his wife, swears to defend her rights and dignity. In the end, the devoted woman cannot let go of her obsession, while the woman who fought for her dignity lets go of hers and frees herself. 5Reads—Score—14d adds
- 27 The Old Lady with Brain Cancer Bounces Around Another World 脑癌老太在异世界瞎蹦乱跳 [Don’t read this old cringe!] Qi Yingqing is an eighty-year-old woman from the 1980s who is in the late stages of brain cancer. After she dies, she arrives at a soul transit station. She thinks she’s simply transmigrated into a book to complete missions and buy a house… But who could have known that her entire life had been set up by the universe’s boss! 1Reads—Score—14d adds
- 28 A Few Stories from Life on the Factory Floor 工厂打工男女之间的三两事 [Rural life in the 1980s and 1990s, migrant workers, city life, flirtation, love, growing up, everyday life, the little things, not a power fantasy, realistic] Do you remember working in Shenzhen twenty years ago? Everyone wore the most innocent smiles. Nobody on the streets was glued to a phone. Even though people earned only a few hundred yuan a month, they were remarkably happy and content. Now, even with several thousand yuan a month, or even a business of your own, you can never go back to 288Reads—Score—14d adds
- 29 The Quiet Little Town 小城悠悠 [One-on-one romance + marriage first, love later + married life + sweet romance with no angst] Yang Jingwen, a 27-year-old woman who was considered past her prime for marriage, lost her job. Disheartened, she returned to her hometown, where her family kept pressuring her to get married. So Yang Jingwen got married on a whim. Every encounter in life is carefully arranged by fate. 2.8kReads8.4Score25714d adds
- 30 A Brief Moment in Time 半刻时光 Overbearing CEO × crazy girl (scratch that) Financial tycoon × aspiring young writer A gentle-looking boy with a detached heart × a stubborn, sensitive girl Rekindled romance, healing each other, devoted to each other. Rumor has it that Chu Yu, the ruthless business tycoon who dominates the cutthroat corporate world, recently picked up a crazy woman who tried to scam him into marriage and made her his fiancée. Before long, “Liu Bo Group Chairman Chu Yu,” “Chu Yu fiancée,” and “scam crazy woman” 2Reads—Score—14d adds
- 31 A Guide to Finding Love and Turning Your Life Around as an Average Woman Over Thirty 大龄普女脱单逆袭指北 A lighthearted, funny story about Jiang Ning, an ordinary woman who moves to Beijing, finds herself after youth, and gets back into dating. She's open to advice and willing to take action. Two leads, with a large ensemble cast. Main characters: Jiang Ning (a newbie, quirky, loves making money); Han Zhengyi (a playboy, hilarious, loves going off the rails); Lin Lang (a sensual woman, calculating, loves pure romance). A very small portion of the story draws on real life. The vast majority is ficti 2Reads—Score—14d adds
- 32 Spring Trees in the Mu Clouds 慕云春树 College campus + both leads are each other’s one and only + secret crush becomes mutual + sweet romance The male lead is cold on the outside but warm inside. He starts off arrogant, then gets humbled and turns into a lovesick puppy. One day after they’re married, Sun Chunjia confronts Jiang Qiuyuan. “Didn’t you say dating was a hassle and that we should just go straight to matchmaking?” Jiang Qiuyuan gives her an innocent look, says nothing, and kisses her like a puppy. The proper blurb: Wha 3Reads—Score—14d adds
- 33 Real Life: A Middle Schooler's Journey as a Writer 真实人生：一个初中生的写作路 A real life, a painful past: I grew up poor and frail, plagued by illness. At fifteen, I dropped out of school and began pursuing my literary dream at home. After having my work rejected time and again, I finally saw my first-ever piece published. It also became the last thing I ever published in print. Then I turned to the internet and began my journey as a web novelist. 21Reads8.0Score214d adds
- 34 The Wind Blows Through Green Fields, Sweet as Can Be 风吹青禾有点甜 [Breast Specialist] VS [Divorced Chinese Literature Department Beauty]. [Sweet Romance]+ [Younger Man]+ [Second Marriage]+ [Second Male Lead Wins Her Back]. On the tenth anniversary of her wedding, Shen Qinghe was confronted by her husband's mistress. It turned out that the perfect husband in everyone's eyes had not only cheated on and betrayed her, but had also gotten the other woman pregnant. Furious, she divorced him, but her stress led to the discovery of breast nodules. Introduced by her be 597Reads8.4Score10114d adds
- 35 A Heartfelt Deal 心动交易 [Sweet romance with angst + healing] [Exclusive devotion, a polished but depraved top lawyer × a money-loving junior lawyer] Jiang Ran met Gu Shencheng because he casually pointed her out from a line of beauties. She wanted his money; he wanted her body. Once she was through her rough patch, Jiang Ran pulled up her pants and acted like nothing had happened. “Attorney Gu, let’s not keep in touch from now on.” Gu Shencheng gripped her chin. “Jiang Ran, you used me and now you’re tossing me aside?” 88Reads7.1Score—14d adds
- 36 A Legacy That Ends Here 代代不相传 “Mom does it all for your own good.” “Everything Mom does is for you.” “If you get divorced, your life will be over.” How can a girl born into a family that favors sons over daughters escape the shadow of her upbringing? How can two generations of women break free from the struggles of marriage and life? 4Reads—Score—14d adds
- 37 Only After We Parted Did I Realize I Loved You 别后方知爱上 [Workplace Romance + Golf] Jiang Mo has no idea that Yang Zichen has been secretly in love with her for eight years. Time passes, and when they meet again, she is still herself, yet no longer the person she used to be. Can fate’s strange twists give them another chance to start over? In the days that follow, he winds around her like a vine, quietly entwining himself with her life. But she has a solemn vow to protect her: handsome men are absolutely off-limits! And yet... P.S. A heartwarming sto 5Reads—Score—14d adds
- 38 After My Comeback, All My Women Left Me 逆袭之后，我的女人都跑了 After My Comeback, All My Women Left Me 1Reads—Score—14d adds
- 39 Alien Insect Queen 异星虫母 My name is Li Tianling, and I’m an utterly ordinary college student. When I woke up one day, I found myself in an unknown world. My body seemed to have changed for some reason: it could “melt” and absorb all kinds of substances. The parts that melted off my body even turned into bugs, which could split into different species and obey my commands. After escaping the place where I’d awakened, I made my way into a forest, where there seemed to be even greater dangers. How was I supposed to survive. 13Reads—Score—14d adds
- 40 Still Pretending? You Fell for Me Ages Ago 还装？你早心动了 Secret Crush Comes True + Cool, Aloof Doctor + Gentle Schoolteacher Who says first love is always doomed to go nowhere? In high school, she experienced her first stirrings of love and found the courage to confess, only to be rejected. But she never expected that the two of them would meet again one day. Even more surprising, she didn’t recognize him... When they met again, though, she kept retreating. Her heart raced, but she didn’t dare get close. He pinned her between himself and the sof 9Reads6.4Score—14d adds
- 41 An Unconventional Family 非正常家庭， Among the many discussions of love and marriage, one thought-provoking saying goes: “If you can still feel a spark for the person beside you in bed for your whole life, that’s true love.” These brief but powerful words capture the ideal of love and marriage. In people’s dreams, love burns like a blazing fire, and marriage is the vessel that keeps it alight forever. Husband and wife spend their lives together, nestled in the warmth of their love, with neither passion nor excitement ever fading. B 4Reads—Score—14d adds
- 42 Super Generation Requiem: Unrivaled in Esports 超世代镇魂曲：电竞无双 This is the author’s cringeworthy early attempt at a fluffy soap-opera story. It has nothing to do with the main story of Super Town (AGR). For the main story, search directly for Super Generation Requiem: Skyline Legend. The author will keep updating until it’s finished, and it won’t end badly. —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 43 Moonlight Over Mountains and Rivers 山川明月照 Mountains and rivers beneath the bright moon, the two of us facing each other in silence… That year, Lin Fengzi met the little mute. Now, will they say goodbye? Or look, the flowers have all bloomed… Volume One: I'm the little mute. I can't speak, but I can hear. I'm special, yet just as ordinary as everyone else. Volume Two: I'm Lin Fengzi, madly chasing the freedom of the wind. Volume Three: … As they grow, the two protagonists search for themselves, explore their inner worlds, and reach into 1Reads—Score—14d adds
- 44 The Maid in the Presidential Suite 总统套房的女佣 Born into poverty, a young woman heads south to the city to support her family. She takes a job as a room attendant at a five-star hotel, making beds, cleaning toilets, and vacuuming every day. Along the way, she gets entangled with several male guests and attracts their attention. Naive and inexperienced, she tries to change her fate, but gradually loses her way in the city of desire... 247Reads6.5Score—14d adds
- 45 He Hid in the Years, Loving Me for So Long 他藏在时光里，爱了我很多年 My name is Guo Yaoze. When I was six, a little girl moved in next door. She wore two tiny pigtails and had dimples when she smiled. She gave me her only lollipop. “Brother Xiaoze, I don’t like sweets.” It was twenty years before I learned she’d been lying to me. When I was nine, my family moved away. She cried downstairs, and I cried in the car. At fifteen, I transferred back and she became my desk mate, but she didn’t remember me. At seventeen, after the college entrance exams, my mother sent 4Reads—Score—14d adds
- 46 The Desperate Wife 绝望的妻子 Housewife Li Wenqing had been living a comfortable, affluent life. She had an adorable son and got along well with her stepdaughter. But on the eve of their seventh wedding anniversary, Li Wenqing discovered that her husband was having an affair. Longing for a whole and happy family, she endured a painful inner struggle and hoped her husband would see the error of his ways and return to the family. Instead, he went down a path of no return. Betrayed by her husband and stabbed in the back by her 167Reads7.2Score—14d adds
- 47 A Midnight Romance 深夜情缘 Fang Nan's girlfriend of two years was pregnant with another man's child. Furious, he got into a car accident on a rainy night and crossed paths with a beautiful senior executive at a company. From then on, he was caught up in an utterly unbelievable tangle of love and revenge… 152Reads7.2Score10314d adds
- 48 I’ll Fall in Love Eventually 我终究会恋爱 Before college, romance was forbidden fruit, something people hardly dared to reach for. After starting college, people seemed to break free of their restraints, becoming carefree, passionate, and uninhibited in matters of the heart. Chaoyang has just started college. Now eighteen, he is full of youthful energy and eager to fall in love. But held back by a little insecurity, he has yet to find his true love. Through constant learning and hard work, he eventually breaks free of his constraints, f 1Reads—Score—14d adds
- 49 Slightly Downcast: Deleting My Love-Brain 轻颓：删除恋爱脑 [Period Novel] [Realistic Fiction] [Women’s Growth] [Family Life] [Literary] Northeast China at the end of the last century. Su Qing (Qing), a 26-year-old cashier at a state-owned enterprise, is burned badly by her obsession with romance: blind dates bring one oddball after another, and her husband cheats on her. Her in-laws find fault with everything she does, the state-owned enterprise undergoes restructuring and offers buyouts of years of service, and she faces constant trouble at work. In th 1Reads—Score—14d adds
- 50 The Story of Fei Xin’s Daughter 飞新的女传 [Marriage + Domestic Abuse + Divorce + Blind Date + Online Romance + Finding True Love + Sweet Romance + Silent Treatment] At twenty, Fei Xin was set up by her parents, went on a blind date, got married, suffered domestic abuse, and divorced. At twenty-three, she met an online boyfriend five years younger than her. They got married and had a child! Married Life + Sweet Romance + Silent Treatment —Reads—Score—14d adds
