Novels like Host, Don’t Be So Cruel. The Male Lead and the Villain Are Supposed to Turn Evil
Books Chinese readers most often put in the same booklists as Host, Don’t Be So Cruel. The Male Lead and the Villain Are Supposed to Turn Evil, best match first.
- 1 Mist of Glazed Glass 琉璃迷雾 [Male-Male Romance + Angsty Drama + Healing + Yandere + The Second Male Lead Takes the Lead + Dreams + Happy Ending] Physical and emotional torment / angsty drama / villains get what's coming to them / happy ending After Wen Li was betrayed by his scumbag boyfriend, he developed kidney failure. He met Xia Zhijin, a boy in a wheelchair, who watched fireworks with him and stayed by his side through dialysis. They promised to see the northern lights together. But their happiness didn't last. Wen Li 3Reads—Score—14d adds
- 2 The Live-In Son-in-Law: My Cold Wife Regrets Divorcing Me 上门婿：我的高冷老婆后悔离婚了 [Supernatural abilities: ancient soul arts + plays the pig to eat the tiger + angst] Han Leng took care of his brother-in-law for five years, working tirelessly and believing he would earn Yun Cheng's approval. But after a move, Yun Cheng showed up with divorce papers. He left with nothing and began living life on his own terms. After the divorce, his ex-wife regretted it. Unable to accept losing the man she loved, she swore to win him back... After obtaining a book recording ancient soul arts, 6Reads5.3Score—14d adds
- 3 A Flicker of Fireworks 焰火微生 Angst novel, angst novel, angst novel, angst, angst, angst, angst, angst novel, angst novel, angst novel, angst, angst, angst, angst, angst novel, angst novel, angst novel, angst, angst, angst, angst, angst novel, angst novel, angst novel, angst, angst, angst, angst, angst novel, angst novel, angst novel, angst, angst, angst, angst, angst novel, angst novel, angst novel, angst, angst, angst, angst, angst novel, angst novel, angst novel, angst, angst, angst, angst, angst novel, angst novel, angst 654Reads—Score10414d adds
- 4 One Thoughtless Choice, and I Lost the One I Loved Forever 一念之差，永失所爱。 One moment of hesitation, and I lost the one I loved forever. 1Reads—Score—14d adds
- 5 The Lord of Purgatory and His Sinful Demon Disciple 炼狱主上与罪奴妖徒 On the night her divine soul burned away, Li Yuanxue finally learned the truth: the demon who protected her, hurt her, and led her to her death was the only one in this life willing to atone for her with his own life. Five years ago, she burned up her divine soul to protect the city. Five years later, she returned from the abyss with shattered memories, only to find Cang Jinli, the man who once revered her as his master, had imprisoned himself as a slave. Kneeling before her with a spirit-locki 5Reads—Score—14d adds
- 6 After Our Divorce, He Saw My Posthumous Painting at the Palace Banquet 和离后，他在宫宴上看我的遗画 After Our Divorce, He Gazed at My Posthumous Painting at the Palace Banquet 17Reads—Score—14d adds
- 7 After I Was Drowned in a Pond, My Husband Went Mad 被沉塘后，夫君他疯了 After I Was Drowned in a Pond, My Husband Went Mad 2Reads—Score—14d adds
- 8 Sang Luo's Farewell 桑落辞 Sang Luo Ci 5Reads—Score—14d adds
- 9 The Day He Burned Me Alive, He Had Only Three Months Left 烧死我那天，他只剩三个月命 The Day He Burned Me to Death, He Had Only Three Months Left to Live 1Reads—Score—14d adds
- 10 After I Left, My Ex-Husband's Empire Crumbled 我走后，前夫的江山塌了 After I Left, My Ex-Husband's Empire Crumbled 2Reads—Score—14d adds
- 11 Sorrow Beneath the Eaves 檐下殇 Sorrow Beneath the Eaves 1Reads—Score—14d adds
- 12 Xiao Ran Leaves Old Sorrows Behind, and Takes Ya Along for Life 萧然辞旧苦，携雅赴平生 Zhou Nian'an's parents divorced when she was young. Her mother remarried, and she lived with her father. Neglected from an early age, she was bullied at school for years and at one point began hurting herself. When her second personality, A Ya, emerged, Nian'an found hope in life again... 18Reads—Score—14d adds
- 13 Luo Seling 洛斯秢 Luo Siming lives in a villa near the Secret Garden Estate. The house belongs to her family. After giving birth and finishing her month of postpartum confinement, she returned to her family home with her son, and has been living there for a year now... She works at the Secret Garden Estate, which is just down the main road from her house! The owner is an extremely mysterious person of rather unusual status. Almost none of the employees, including the managers, have ever seen them in person. Even 1Reads—Score—14d adds
- 14 Before the Typhoon Hits 在台风来之前 Shen Yifei was lost in him for three years. Those around them were certain she was nothing more than a minor accessory to his power. She never protested, never spoke up. Three years of infatuation, erased in a single morning. His tenderness was her only comfort in the depths of despair, and also a scheme he had quietly laid over the course of many years. Love is the greatest illusion. Some bury their deep devotion in silence, while others weave a net of tenderness with 10Reads—Score—14d adds
- 15 The Day I Signed the Medicine Slave Contract, the Marquis's Estate Hung Mourning Banners for Three Years 签完药人契那天，侯府白幡挂了三年 The Day She Signed the Medicine Vassal Contract, the Marquis's Residence Had Hung White Mourning Banners for Three Years 2Reads—Score—14d adds
- 16 Taking Treasures Into My Pocket 娶物入囊 [Angst, Everyone Suffers + Revenge on Scumbags] The moment Jiang Hanyan’s veil was lifted, her happy smile froze. “You’re not Yun Lei. You’re Huo Yusheng...” From that moment on, driven by the deep-seated resentment he had harbored ever since his twin brother, Huo Yunlei, framed him in their youth, and convinced that Jiang Hanyan had caused his first love, Tang Yueran, to become paralyzed, the young master of the Huo family, Huo Yusheng, married the woman who was supposed to become his sister-in 139Reads6.5Score—14d adds
- 17 White Hair Before Our Time 白首未当年 In this life, Ye Anyan has only one wish: to wait for Gu Qingze to come back and stay by his side until they grow old together. But she never imagined she would lose her child, her heart, and her life for him. Only at the very end did she think in despair: If there is another life, I never want to meet him again. 16Reads6.0Score—14d adds
- 18 Worthy of Remembrance 堪怀 I remember the first time I saw him. He had a bruised and battered face from fighting someone, sitting quietly in the stairwell with his back against the wall, blood still dripping from his fingers. As I passed, I tossed him a Band-Aid. When I reached the corner of the stairs, he still hadn’t picked it up, so I went back, gently peeled it open, and stuck it on for him. He still had that stubborn look on his face. Back then, no matter what our personalities were like, it seemed we were all drawn 7Reads—Score—14d adds
- 19 My Lord, I Won't Treat You Anymore 夫君，我不医了 My Lord Husband, I Won't Treat You Anymore 10Reads—Score—14d adds
- 20 Beneath the River of Forgetfulness, A Cherry Blossom Promise 忘川河下，赴一场樱花之约 Beneath the River of Forgetfulness, keep an appointment beneath the cherry blossoms. 19Reads—Score—14d adds
- 21 Love’s Redemption 爱的救赎 [Hidden Tycoon + Love and Redemption + Sweet + Angsty + Happy Ending] I hereby announce that my pen name is now “Auspicious Cabbage.” Rejected by her boss, she quits and becomes a full-time writer. By chance, she meets an elusive titan of the investment world, then mistakenly assumes he’s about to go bankrupt. Cold as a mountain, he’s been hurt by love and has no hopes for romance. He mistakenly believes she’s scheming to seduce him. To her, however, her career matters more than love. But throug 25Reads—Score—14d adds
- 22 After Tormenting Her, the Tycoon Knelt with Red-Rimmed Eyes 虐完她，霸总跪地红了眼 [Love and hate until the end of time | angst | unfaithful man, faithful woman | wealthy family | CEO | revenge] Hate me. Hate lasts longer than love, yet in the end, she won't even give me her hate. For three generations, Xia Xiqing's family had lived in harmony. Her parents doted on her, and she and Fu Shiyan had grown up together, in love with each other. Their families were close friends, too. But ten years ago, an “accident” carefully planned by Xia's father killed Fu Shiyan's parents and de 811Reads—Score11014d adds
- 23 A Receptionist Took Me for a Fool, So I Made a Fortune. Now She’s in Tears, and I Tell Her to Get Lost 被女接待当凯子耍，我逆袭神豪，她眼含热泪我让她滚 A hostess tried to fleece me, so I rose to become a tycoon. She had tears in her eyes, but I told her to get lost. —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 24 After Transmigrating, I Became His Slave 穿越后却成了他的奴 Hu Xue, a naive and sweet rookie teacher, was struggling at work when she unexpectedly transmigrated to Xilan Continent, a country where men held absolute power and women had no status. She became the female slave of Liu Yibo, the man she had secretly loved, who had also transmigrated there. Drawing on his modern knowledge, Liu Yibo quickly rose from the son of a wealthy family to a general leading troops into battle. Hu Xue, meanwhile, endured countless hardships as a female slave, learning all 167Reads8.9Score—14d adds
- 25 Ink of Sorrow, Blossoms of Love 墨殇合欢颜 [Pure Historical Romance, No Rebirth] + [Marriage Before Love] + [Love of Country and Family] + [BE] A man who has renounced desire hides his feelings, while an innocent heart falls in love. He is a wise, steady general who protects the nation. She is the clever, charming sixth daughter of the Chancellor, a little troublemaker. Though they have never met, an imperial decree binds them together. After they marry, they do nothing but bicker, without ever touching each other. Neither of them ex 47Reads8.2Score—14d adds
- 26 All in the Time of Dancing 尽是飞舞时 [Female Student and Noble Young Master, Gentle Translator and Devoted Businessman] [Reunion After a Long Separation, Mending a Broken Relationship, Older Man, Happy Ending] - She may be aloof, but she can win not only his heart, but the favor of his entire family. He need not fight for anything or give anything up, yet it is her dreams that must be sacrificed. Song Yiqing: “So there really is a barrier between us when we communicate.” When Zhao Zequan met her, he knew only three French phrases. 22Reads—Score—14d adds
- 27 What Should I Do If I Fall for Someone Else After Getting My Happy Ending with the Obsessive Male Lead? 与偏执男主he后爱上别人怎么办 Yu Yi has been terribly troubled lately. In the second year of her marriage, she found herself falling for a subordinate who had been pursuing her relentlessly. She knows it’s immoral, but she can’t control where her heart leads her!!! Pure-love fans, beware. Both the first and second male leads go through angst. 159Reads5.1Score—14d adds
- 28 The Superpowered CEO Is Both Sweet and Wild as He Pursues His Wife from a Past Life 异能总裁又奶又狼攻略前世之妻 [Angst-filled romance + old-school style + pure-love devotee] Working hard to finish the story... Immortality is hard to attain in this world; only true love can last forever. 1Reads8.6Score—14d adds
- 29 After the Divorce, the Beautiful CEO Regretted It Bitterly 离婚后，美女总裁悔断肠 [Tragic Romance] + [She Chases Him After Losing Him] + [Revenge]. Extremely heartbreaking in the early and middle portions, so be warned! Not recommended for readers with strong patriarchal views. Some kinds of love can only be proven precious by walking away. When she loved him, she hounded him relentlessly, breaking his heart until he could barely breathe. After he left, she came to her senses and spent the rest of her life in regret. Affection that comes too late is wor 22Reads—Score—14d adds
- 30 Stop Begging, Young Master of the Rich Family. We Don't Know Each Other! 别求了，豪门太子爷，我们不熟！ [Second Male Lead Takes the Lead + Mature Romance + Groveling to Win Her Back, But She Won’t Return + Intense Push and Pull] [Clear-Headed, Independent Lawyer × Powerful Man with a Surprising Side] On the day Zhou Mo was betrayed by a client and her case fell apart, she was approached by Liang Mingqian. Though they had only just met, Liang Mingqian asked, “Should I call you Doctor Zhou or Lawyer Zhou?” No one knew why she had abandoned medicine for law, or what secret lay behind the scar on her 19Reads—Score—14d adds
- 31 The Two-Faced Cage: Where Can the Princess Escape? 双面囚笼之皇姐哪里逃 A soul from another world transmigrates. An older woman and younger man: the Grand Princess and the current emperor, with no blood relation. “Elder Sister, has Que'er been bad?” “Elder Sister, you promised Que'er. You can't break your word, or I can't promise what I'll do. It might not be what you want.” The young man's eyes were bewitching, filled with such possessiveness that it was suffocating. The young man was cunning and calculating. It seemed like she had him under her control, bu 361Reads—Score—14d adds
- 32 In Uniform, Yet Unable to Save the One Beside Me 一身警服，难渡枕边人 A police uniform, but he can’t bring the woman beside him to justice. 41Reads—Score—14d adds
- 33 When the Stars Fall in Full Bloom 如遇满星落 As the stars fall, everything is full. 9Reads—Score—14d adds
- 34 My Childhood Friend Ascended the Throne 我的竹马登基了 [Comedy + Zhihu-style storytelling + Ridiculous antics + Strong Male and Female Leads + Childhood Sweethearts + A Little Angst] My name is Gu Xiang, and I’m a celebrated female general. Qi Yan and I have been at odds since we were children. He’s a petty man who loves to kick people when they’re down. As for why Qi Yan loves picking on me so much, it’s because he’s jealous of me. Jealous because everyone loves me and even the flowers bloom when they see me. Chapter excerpt: “Qi Yan, what do you 853Reads6.2Score—14d adds
- 35 Clouds Veil the Vermilion Tower 云锁朱楼 The second time Mu Yun embroidered her wedding dress, her husband, Zhu Lou, found her and demanded coldly, “Madam Mu, have you forgotten that you're a wife of the Zhu family?” “No! I'm not!” What did it mean to be a wife of the Zhu family? It was a death sentence! A story about the hardships of marriage, the struggles of life, and the pain of living. A thoroughly unhappy read. The male lead is not chaste, so proceed with caution if that bothers you! It's not a satisfying or empowering story. It' 677Reads8.8Score10014d adds
- 36 Torture the CEO Until He Goes Mad 虐一虐，总裁变疯批 [Male-lead angst + groveling to win back his wife + love triangle showdown] Zhou He never thought she'd end up in a plot straight out of a novel. After she and her boyfriend break up, his mother comes to see her, hands her a check for five million as compensation for losing the baby after the breakup, and warns her to stay away from her son. Zhou He gives the wealthy woman a cold smile. “That's marital property, Auntie. If you're really sincere about giving it to me, call Uncle over so he can si 560Reads8.1Score—14d adds
- 37 President Lu, Miss Liang Has Disappeared 陆总，梁小姐消失了 Liang Ji never imagined that the one time she gave in to her own selfish impulse, she would take an innocent life. It brought her life back into contact with the boy she had secretly loved for years, but he was no longer the person who had lit up her bleak youth. Whenever he saw her, his face was full of disgust. Lu Huaijing’s beloved died in an accident caused by Liang Ji. Wanting to punish her in his own way, he agreed to a loveless marriage with her. A contractual relationship, brought about 125Reads—Score—14d adds
- 38 After Being Reborn as My Ex-Husband's Agent 重生成前夫影帝的经纪人后 [A truly painful chase to win his wife back] [He’ll be reborn later] Early Meng Tianwang: “You think I’d sign with you? Do you even know what you are?” Later Meng Tianwang: “Baby! Honey! Sign me! I’ll make money for you!” Story begins Lu Qingyun, who is suffering from terminal cancer and being hounded by online abuse, says to his husband, “Yun Jian, help me.” The next day, Meng Yunjian hands him divorce papers. “Let’s part on good terms.” Lu Qingyun looks at a photo on his phone of Meng Yunjian 2.8kReads6.9Score29314d adds
- 39 Wrongfully Married to the Wealthiest CEO, I Can't Get Him to Let Go 错嫁第一豪门霸总天天抱着不撒手 [Angsty romance + marriage first, love later + groveling pursuit + happy ending] After her fiancé cheats on her, Ye Xixi gets drunk and marries her best friend. When she sobers up, she discovers that she actually married her best friend’s third uncle, Gu Jingting. Gu Jingting is the most powerful man in the Gu family, a man of noble status and immense influence. They come from completely different worlds. But from the moment she first saw him three years ago, she fell hopelessly in love with him 29Reads5.4Score—14d adds
- 40 I Work as a Matron in the Imperial Palace 我在深宫当嬷嬷 I Work as a Matron in the Imperial Palace 4Reads—Score—14d adds
- 41 Deep Love, Fated to Part: I Turned Around to Find Everything Changed 情深缘浅，转身已是物是人非 [An intensely angsty tearjerker + the aesthetics of a tragic ending + love and hate intertwined + the second male lead wins + a devoted male lead who doesn’t understand love] “Mo, why are you taking her as your concubine?” “Rou’er is the one I love most. You’re nothing but a plaything to amuse me!” So it had all been a lie! But he didn’t know she was already carrying his child. In her previous life, she was Lin Jingxi, the noble princess of the peerless Wushuang Kingdom. When a treacherous minis 88Reads—Score—14d adds
- 42 May We Never Meet Again 别来有恙 At sixteen, Qiao Suo met Qiao Jinyan, leaving a small town in Jiangnan for the glittering imperial capital. She was the fourth daughter of the Qiao family, and he was her elder brother in name only. She defied the judgment of society and fell madly in love with Qiao Jinyan. Later, Qiao Jinyan married someone else, and she had no choice but to claw her way out of the abyss. Bearing wounds all over, she fell silent and left for years. I once loved you, the best person in the world. Where can 78Reads8.7Score—14d adds
- 43 My Best Friend Got Pregnant by a Black Man, Then Blamed Her Ex-Boyfriend 闺蜜与黑人交往意外怀孕，赖上了前男友 My Best Friend Accidentally Got Pregnant by a Black Man, Then Tried to Pin It on Her Ex —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 44 This Is Awkward: My Ex-Wife Is Getting Married, and I Still Have to Serve at the Wedding 尴尬，前妻结婚我还要去婚宴上端盘子 How awkward. My ex-wife is getting married, and I still have to go serve food at her wedding banquet. 3Reads—Score—14d adds
- 45 My Childhood Betrothed, Your Persona Has Crumbled 童养夫，你的人设崩了 My Childhood Betrothed’s Character Has Fallen Apart 79Reads—Score—14d adds
- 46 Tears in the Feathers 羽中泪 The heroine had been an insecure girl since childhood. She couldn't speak, her classmates bullied her, and her family didn't love her. She grew up in pain... Then, at nineteen, unable to endure her classmates' pranks any longer, she climbed to the rooftop and jumped, ending her life... But her death was not the end. In “heaven,” she met someone who would become the turning point that redeemed her fate... [Cool, aloof divine official × gloomy female ghost] [Happy ending] [A collision between hea —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 47 After He Died, I Made a Fortune Working at a Nightclub 他死后，我在夜场上班挣大钱 After He Died, I Made Big Money Working at Nightclubs 11Reads—Score—14d adds
- 48 Stop Hitting Me! Any More and I’ll Be Done For 别打了再打要废了 I love you so much I'd let you beat me to death. I lost you. What would be the point of living without you? Heaven took pity on me, and we met again, only for me to lose you once more. We met again, and all I have left in this life is making amends. Please, don't leave me. I'll do anything. Make me kneel, beat me to death, torture me to death, anything, just give me a chance to make things right. I can't live without you. Everyone, novels are fiction and reality is reality. This is not meant to 621Reads7.2Score—14d adds
- 49 I Was Reborn After Taking His Demon Core 挖他妖丹后，我重生了 Female-led romance / GB / Male lead gets seriously hurt!! / Physical and emotional angst / Both leads are each other's only partners A personal fantasy, so please check the tags before reading. The male lead may suffer, but he is no pushover. A once-innocent, carefree heroine who becomes ruthless and merciless vs. a wild, roguish-looking hero who is loyal at heart -- After gouging out his demon core and torturing him to death with her own hands, Yu Yan thought she had avenged her family and coul 8.5kReads8.7Score68314d adds
- 50 After the Class Reunion, She Knelt and Begged Me Not to Divorce Her 同学聚会后，她跪着求我别离婚 After the Class Reunion, She Begged Me on Her Knees Not to Divorce Her 40Reads—Score—14d adds
