Novels like The Merman Has Lost All Hope
Books Chinese readers most often put in the same booklists as The Merman Has Lost All Hope, best match first.
- 1 I'll Chase My Own Wife 自己媳妇自己追 The arrogant heir of Prince Qin Xiang, Xiao Qi, had fallen for a fool with the mind of a ten-year-old. The news sent the aristocrats of the capital into an uproar. Though foolish and slow-witted, the girl had a beautiful face. Only on closer inspection did people realize how much she resembled Xiao Qi’s deceased first love. Unless you looked closely, it was hard to tell them apart. Xiao Qi disregarded the prestige of Lanling and insisted on keeping the fool by his side. She relied on him and tru 229Reads—Score—14d adds
- 2 The Stand-In Returns with a New Identity, and Her Ex Is Out of His League 替身换身份归来,渣男他高攀不起 Angst for the bottom first, then angst for the top: a groveling pursuit to win back his wife. That year, Yan Xiaoyu was surrounded and attacked by a gang of thugs on the street. Suddenly, a man descended before him like a god, rescuing him from danger. Chi Nanfeng: From now on, I can protect you. Yan Xiaoyu: Brother Nan, I’m the little fish in your pond. Wherever you are is home to me. Chi Nanfeng: Xiaoyu, Gu Yan has come back to me. As for you, I can only entrust you to someone else’s ca 33Reads—Score—14d adds
- 3 The Debt Is Paid. I Owe You Nothing Now 债期已满,我不欠你了 [Two male leads × tragic romance × bad ending] “A-Ming, don’t hate me. The debt is paid. I don’t owe you anymore...” That was the last thing Huo Youming heard Qing Ziyin say. He still remembered what he looked like as he spoke. His breathing was so faint he seemed about to drift away, yet he still reached out to wipe Huo Youming’s tears. The moment his fingertips touched Huo Youming’s face, his hand fell. Huo Youming had once been insane. He had gripped Qing Ziyin’s wrist and said, “My mother ga 123Reads—Score—14d adds
- 4 So You Really Thought You Were Loved 还真以为被爱了 Song Qing needed money, and Lu Boyan was generous with his. Song Qing knew he shouldn't fall for him, but before he knew it, his heart had been stirred. He was the one who crossed the line. What wasn't his could never belong to him. Physical attraction and love weren't the same thing. For Song Qing, the stupidest thing he had ever done was fall in love with someone he shouldn't have, but he had never regretted it. Lu Boyan admitted that Song Qing's arrival had indeed brought a touch of color to 23Reads—Score—14d adds
- 5 After He Broke Her Body and Heart, President Gu Gets His Comeuppance 虐身虐心后,顾总火葬场了 Shen Zhao loves Gu Chengyuan with all his heart. He never expects Gu Chengyuan to love him just as much. All he wants is a quiet, peaceful life. Even when he is misunderstood and hurt, he cannot forget the boy who once smiled at him. But when Gu Chengyuan destroys his father’s company, gets engaged to someone else right in front of him, and even punishes him with his mother’s life, Shen Zhao can no longer love him. In the end, he smiles and says, “Chengyuan, life should be as it was when we firs 411Reads—Score—14d adds
- 6 Your Heart Says, I Love You 你的心在说我爱你 Your heart is saying, “I love you.” 116Reads—Score—14d adds
- 7 After Being Diagnosed with a Terminal Illness, I Discovered My Substitute Was His One True Love 得了绝症后,发现替身竟是白月光 A possessive, domineering, cold-blooded top VS a mute, terminally ill substitute bottom One-on-one, both pure Author’s note: Same-sex marriage is legal in this setting!! Originally titled The Mute Substitute A story about the real person he loved becoming a substitute and suffering abuse, in body and heart!!! Important things must be said three times: BE, BE, BE Ting Xu is mute. Adopted by the Ye family as a child, he became Ye Zifeng’s personal bodyguard. After Ye Zifeng died, Xie Lingchen, who 149Reads—Score—14d adds
- 8 After a Transmigrator Took Over My Body, They Drove My Beloved Insane 被穿越者夺舍后,逼疯了我的爱人 [Dual male leads + extreme physical and emotional angst + proceed with caution + mutually exclusive first times + first life has a bad ending + second life has a happy ending + sweet romance in the second life + equally matched leads] Jiang Yuci is the leader of the Demonic Cult, a proud man who rules the world. He and a young Sword God fall in love and vow to spend their lives together. But their happiness doesn't last. A System claiming to be the fated ultimate villain brings a transmigrator w 294Reads—Score—14d adds
- 9 Imprisoned by Love: Wildfire Scorches the Stars 囚爱:野火灼星 [Two male leads + forced love + two powerful leads + heartbreakingly angsty and sickeningly sweet] A love fated across three lifetimes, a tragic romance spanning two. He is the sharpest blade of the Six Fan Gate; I am the coldest bandit of Blackwind Stronghold. When I locked this jade-faced constable in a stone cell, all I wanted was to break his pride. The torture devices couldn’t make him talk, but they made me addicted. “Shangguan Xingyang,” I licked the blood from the corner of his lips. “T 202Reads—Score—14d adds
- 10 After His Immortal Bone Was Stolen, He Cultivated the Heartless Way 被挖仙骨后他转修无情道 [Cool and resilient senior disciple Shen Mucheng × the third prince Yuan Chang'an, who is not what he seems; everyone's favorite, melodrama, physical and emotional torment, imprisonment, amnesia] Shen Mucheng, the eldest disciple of Tianjian Sect leader Luo Mingchuan, was born with immortal bones. After an accident left his junior brother gravely injured, the immortal bones were needed as medicine. His second and third junior brothers conspired to cut them out of him while he was still alive, da 79Reads—Score—14d adds
- 11 So Love Has an Expiration Date 原来爱有期限 Shao Ning: Everyone says love can overcome any obstacle. It’s not that I don’t believe in love, but love can change in an instant. The only thing that lasts is... a 15-year limit... Maybe Mom, you and Dad were right. In the end, a man and a man just can’t be together. 1.8kReads—Score19314d adds
- 12 The Emperor Regrets It After I Am Reborn, but the Phoenix Lord Has Given His Heart to Another 重生后帝悔,可凤君他已心有所属 After being reborn, the emperor regrets it, but the Phoenix Lord has already given his heart to someone else. 273Reads—Score114d adds
- 13 Forbidden Love: The Sandstorms and Loess of Those Years 罪爱:那年风沙,那年黄土 [Two male leads + angst + period drama + tragic ending + heart-wrenching angst with a lasting impact] Grandpa told me a story. Sixty years ago, the educated youth Bai Xing fell in love with Gu Mancan and died at the execution grounds. That year, I met Li Yuheng and thought I could rewrite the ending. But they still drove us to our deaths. The same windblown sands as that year. The same return of our souls to the earth. The love of two generations was buried in the same spring. Grandpa sa 311Reads—Score—14d adds
- 14 Let's Leave It Here 那就到这里 That's where it ends. 547Reads—Score—14d adds
- 15 Before He Died, He Took the Poison Called 他死前,服下了那味叫不得好死的药 Before he died, he took the drug called You Deserve a Horrible Death 979Reads—Score1714d adds
- 16 Heaven, Please Give Me a Way Out 请上天给我生路 At seventeen, my mother sold me to Northern Myanmar for 400 yuan... I picked up a fruit knife and slashed my wrist. The blade was ice-cold, just like my heart. As I slipped toward unconsciousness, someone picked me up. Warm liquid dripped onto my face, and I heard a familiar voice speak beside me, at once near and far: “Since you’re in so much pain, I won’t save you...” Angst be 127Reads—Score—14d adds
- 17 After His Bones Were Torn Out, My Wayward Disciple Went Mad 抽筋剥骨后,逆徒他疯了 [Master and disciple + two male leads + angst + younger male lead + both leads inexperienced + a groveling redemption arc] Master Feng Binglan foresaw that his disciple, Fu Lingtian, would die at twenty, so he made up a fake System to make the boy hate him. He had his tendons torn out, his bones stripped away, and his heart cut open. His dragon body was shattered as he took the full force of the heavenly tribulation for his disciple. When Feng Binglan's soul was finally scattered, Fu Lingtian 541Reads—Score—14d adds
- 18 Late to Return, Late to Return, Nowhere to Call Home 迟归迟归无家可归 Ground down in the imperial palace, Xiao Chigui spends his life enduring hardship and drifting from place to place, never receiving even the slightest warmth. Xie Wangyan, whose power holds sway over an entire region, exhausts himself with longing, hoping only that his beloved will return. In the end, the promised day of return means never coming back at all. 333Reads—Score—14d adds
- 19 Chi Changqiu 池长秋 Two men, tragic ending A story about two people who love each other but refuse to love each other, only to love each other forever in the end. Tonight, the wind howls and the rain pours. There is no moonlight. A little flower by the roadside bends beneath the gale meant for it, its stem snapping as it is buried in the world around it. When it was born, it was colorful and bright. Then its edges were worn away, its values twisted, and its soul destroyed, along with its flesh and bones. 47Reads—Score—14d adds
- 20 After His Act of Innocence Backfires, He Turns Dark 装乖翻车后他黑化了 [Complete] What’s it like to be pursued by your unrequited love’s son? Only after falling hopelessly in love with him did Ning Yun realize it had all been an elaborate scheme. He thought he had found his salvation, but an endless abyss awaited him. -- Blurb two: He relentlessly pursued and flirted with the man because Ke Yi believed the man was the third party who had caused his parents’ divorce. Then he discovered it was all a misunderstanding, one he had brought upon himself. The man’s reputat 406Reads6.5Score—14d adds
- 21 My Godforsaken Life 爷这操蛋的人生 Yu Yan × Mu Siming Yu Yan thought his life was a complete fucking mess. When he was little, his mother abandoned him to become someone else's stepmother. His shameless old man married a woman only a few years older than Yu Yan and made her his stepmother. When he grew up, he finally managed to earn some money by writing a novel, only for the shitty platform to lock it. After going through hell to find a bridge with good feng shui, he planned to jump off and kill himself, hoping he wouldn't have 28Reads—Score314d adds
- 22 A Bitter Pill for the Heart 扎心良药 [Two Male Leads + Reuniting After a Breakup + Redemption + Sweet Romance with a Little Angst] Xu Lingzhi and Song Qing were once in love, but in the end, they broke up for good. Five years later, Song Qing reappears and won’t take no for an answer, insisting they get back together! Xu Lingzhi (raising his middle finger): “You f***ing think you can come back and take another half of my life? Get lost!” [This is my first book. The plot, setting, and characters are all pretty good, though some scen 99Reads8.7Score—14d adds
- 23 Do No Harm 莫伤 Deception + hypocrisy + BE Happy memories, his parents’ affection, and his older brother’s care had all been nothing but a dream, a delusion. “After you get married, I don’t want to see him live a happy life. He doesn’t deserve it.” Those were the words Mo Shang’s father said to Lu Yancheng in person on their wedding day. Because he looked like his maternal grandparents, his own mother despised him, his older brother bullied him, and neither of his parents loved him. “What kind of person do you 236Reads6.0Score—14d adds
- 24 Loving You Until Thirty 爱你爱到三十岁 Lin Muran never imagined that, in the end, things would turn out so bleakly. If she had known, she would never have gone home with Luo Chen, no matter what. Five years may not seem long, but they're enough to leave a sincere heart shattered and a person so utterly destroyed that not even their ashes can be found. For the rest of her life, all she will see is herself. 105Reads8.7Score—14d adds
- 25 The Worthy Minister Never Returns 良臣不归 A Worthy Minister Never Returns 38Reads—Score—14d adds
- 26 When the Tears Run Dry 清泪尽 He never imagined that his gentle, loyal little guard could be as savage as a wolf. Not only did he seize his kingdom and slaughter his subjects, he also imprisoned and humiliated him. He knows the past is like smoke, but how could a love this deep simply be cast aside? 71Reads8.2Score—14d adds
- 27 We Who Were Killed by the World 被世界杀死的我们 We Who Were Killed by the World 114Reads—Score—14d adds
- 28 Warning! The Stand-In Doesn't Love Him Anymore 警告!是替身不爱了 [Dual male leads + wealthy-family CEO + contract lover + older man/younger man + substitute + groveling to win back the lover + angst] [Light angst] [Light melodrama] [Groveling to win back the lover, with a tragic ending in the literal sense] Love rises with the wind, and it can also scatter with the wind. Wan Jincheng thought he would never leave, until Mo Yunle said, “Let's break up.” Now Wan Jincheng is panicking. Six years ago. They stood on the stone bridge in Fenghuang Ancient Town. The t 41Reads—Score—14d adds
- 29 Snowfall in the Dark Alley 雪落暗巷 (The main story is complete) [One-on-one pure romance, not your typical angsty love story] Xie Fusang × Pei Yiliu/Ruan Yue Bottom with a psychological disorder × psychiatrist top Original title: Drowned At three in the morning after the first snow, there were not only plum blossoms ready to bloom, but also a notebook beneath the thin snow, holding memories and love. It snowed for three days and three nights, and the thin layer of snow grew deep. Strange. The notebook had no water on it, so why 14Reads—Score—14d adds
- 30 The Heir Was Betrothed Away, and His Pride Was Shattered 世子被配,傲骨尽碎 Angst first, sweetness later / Strong leads / Tragic romance / Court intrigue / Historical setting / Forced love / Unhinged top / Sense of destiny / The top's long road to winning back his love [Cold, proud heir who refuses to bend x Scheming, possessive puppy-like top] Jiang Hanqing was the heir to the Eastern Qi throne, a proud young man who rode fine horses in fine clothes. But a single imperial decree arranging his marriage forced him to become the male wife of the Shen family. Shen Duo lov 2.5kReads8.2Score19514d adds
- 31 The Old Man 老男人 The Old Man 45Reads—Score—14d adds
- 32 Calculating the Day of Return 算归期 The Gu family of Jiangnan, a silk-trading dynasty of three generations, fell overnight. Gu Wantang was the useless young master everyone in the city knew, spending his days amusing himself with birds and listening to stories. His greatest dream was to leave with his sworn elder brother, Xie Yanting, once Xie took over the family business. On the night his father died suddenly, a cup of “poisoned tea” sent Xie Yanting down the doomed road to exile three thousand li away. Gu Wantang crawled out of 15Reads—Score—14d adds
- 33 Zhou Jingchuan, You're Too Late 周敬川,你来迟了 [Two male leads + terminal illness + chasing your husband back + angsty romance] The thing Pei You regretted most in his life was following someone into an alley that night. He lost the prayer beads his older brother had given him, saved a girl, and then caught the attention of her brother, Zhou Jingchuan. Zhou Jingchuan was gentle and considerate, maneuvering closer one step at a time. Pei You thought it was love, until he saw the prayer beads bearing his own name fall from Zhou Jingchuan. 6.9kReads8.3Score59714d adds
- 34 Mr. Grim Reaper, Is It My Turn Today? 死神先生,今天轮到我了吗? Mr. Reaper, is it my turn today? 96Reads—Score214d adds
- 35 Mo Yan Returns 莫言归 [Bad ending + melodrama + devoted to each other] He forces her first, then chases after her. Mostly angst. Jiang Chu takes on his responsibilities and infiltrates a criminal organization. Betrayal, understanding, confusion, forgiveness, revenge... A jumble of complicated emotions fills his heart. He spends nearly his entire life walking the road ahead. "I could protect anyone else but you. You're the one person I can't protect." Another late autumn. The ginkgo leaves have turned yellow in great 166Reads8.1Score—14d adds
- 36 Conversion Camp: Tamed by Love 戒同所:以爱驯服 Just started getting ratings; the main story is complete [No CP + Slight Ensemble Cast + Conversion Therapy + Mind Control + In the Name of Love] [If you like angst, come on in.] I'm required to write at least 50 characters, but I think every extra word would be a spoiler. So, happy New Year's Eve, everyone. Tang Tang, happy New Year's Eve to you too. Welcome to my world. 533Reads8.5Score10014d adds
- 37 Nine-Tailed Fox Slave: The Fox Demon Is Being Tortured to Death by the Demon Lord 九尾成奴:狐妖快被魔尊虐死了 [Newly rated] [Angst, physical and emotional torment, two male leads, and mutual devotion] [Cruel, violent Demon Lord seme x lowly, wretched fox demon uke] [Content warning: extremely cruel, with no limits. The seme is genuinely violent!] A hundred years ago, Su Zongchen slaughtered the entire village where Yan Jinqi lived. Hunted by the Kunlun Mountains, he eventually destroyed his own demon core and became a demon slave. (There was a misunderstanding.) Consumed by hatred, Yan Jinqi used forbid 515Reads7.3Score10114d adds
- 38 May You Be Safe Year After Year. May We Never Meet Again, Alive or Dead 愿君岁岁平安,你我生死不见 May you be safe and sound year after year. May we never meet again, in life or death. 641Reads—Score4114d adds
- 39 An Unequal A/O Relationship 不对等的AO关系 [Two male leads / ABO / angst first, then doting / angst / chasing your wife to the crematorium / sweet young spouse / older top] [The more arrogant the Alpha is at first, the worse he’ll suffer when he chases after his sweet young spouse later!] Niannian is a 21-year-old Omega from a small town, working at a themed hotel in a big city. After being set up without realizing it, he crosses paths with He Tianyang, the top Alpha heir to a mining conglomerate. Innocent Niannian is mistaken for a sche 519Reads—Score—14d adds
- 40 He Went to Bury Him 他去葬他 He wanted to leave with his beloved, but they only smiled and brushed their nose against his. When he opened his eyes again, he had hit his head against his beloved's gravestone. Letters lay scattered across the ground in front of it. He gazed at the white snow and the yellowed tombstone. Afraid his beloved would be too lonely on the journey, he brought a vast sweep of periwinkles to bury them. [The romance is mutual, with neither side being coy] [Chapters 1 and 2 are terrible. I'll come back an 204Reads—Score—14d adds
- 41 The Ex-Wife Chase: Too Late, I’m Almost Dead 追妻火葬场?晚了,我快死了 Groveling to Win Back My “Wife”? Too Late, I’m About to Die 779Reads—Score—14d adds
- 42 I Went Crazy After Falling for You 喜欢你后我疯了 For the sake of his first love, Luo Jinxuan breaks Shen Yuning’s leg. The servants of the Luo family find one cruel way after another to torment him. Shen Yuning goes from silent endurance to a complete breakdown, but Luo Jinxuan doesn’t care. He tells him, “You really are crazy.” Later, his first love causes Shen Yuning to fall off a cliff. Shen Yuning nearly dies, and at last Luo Jinxuan pays attention to him. He even says, “If you can get better this time, I’ll marry you. How’s that?” When Sh 288Reads8.8Score—14d adds
- 43 After Breaking Up With My Jerk Boyfriend, I Had a Flash Marriage With His Uncle 和渣男分手后,我和他小叔闪婚了 [Two male leads + winning back his lover + the second male lead takes the crown + tragic romance] Cheng Xiaoxiao’s boyfriend married his younger brother. Cheng Xiaoxiao was emo for a few seconds, then turned around and threw himself into the arms of his boyfriend’s uncle. As the saying goes, when you’re young, you don’t appreciate an older man’s charms. He’s got money, looks, and social security. Older men are great, older men are wonderful: they talk little, have plenty of money, and even after 300Reads8.0Score10014d adds
- 44 At Last, I Realize What I Owe You 终觉亏欠 Young Liang Anxian will never forgive the person he becomes as an adult. Cheating scum-gong story! Enter at your own risk! Bad ending! Bad ending! Bad ending! Realistic setting, no rebirth, and no golden finger. 929Reads—Score—14d adds
- 45 Eight Years to Make Good 限期八年 “I’m sorry. I love you very much.” “I hope that in your next life, you can treat me right.” Their eight-year affair, hidden in the shadows, was riddled with misunderstanding and hurt. Ji Nan thought they would spend the rest of their lives together, only to hear Zhang Hui say, “I can’t go on anymore.” 119Reads6.2Score—14d adds
- 46 The Humble Lover 卑微情人 [Complete] Forced to become a man’s secret lover because his identity was too shameful to acknowledge. Shan Mo never knew there could be a future worth looking forward to. Jiang Chongzhou rescued him from a wolf’s den, and only then did he begin to hope, wide-eyed, that things might get better. In the end, the person he trusted most shattered him completely. Later, Jiang Chongzhou spent three sleepless days caring for him in the hospital, waiting for him to get through the critical period. The m 4.1kReads8.0Score40014d adds
- 47 Day Thirteen at Conversion Therapy 在戒同所的第十三天 My mother killed me, my father ate me, and my brothers and sisters sat at the table, gathering up my remains before burying them beneath the cold marble. Lin Wan grew up starved of love. When she met Zhou Yang, she thought she had found her own sun. Instead, he was a ticket to hell. One-way trip to a conversion camp~ Please read with an open mind, and go easy on me (இωஇ) 1Reads—Score—14d adds
- 48 Soul Shackles [BE] 束魂【BE】 I haven't written much, so there aren't many recommendations and the book has no rating. Just come in and give it a read, you won't lose out! [Two male protagonists + bad ending + groveling to win back the spouse + reborn + golden finger] “You said you thought men who liked men were disgusting. You said you'd never love me. And you were the one who sent me to that place that devours people. “Now you're standing here telling me you love me? I'm telling you, I only like women now. “In this life, I 2Reads—Score—14d adds
- 49 Giving Up Depression Along With Love 把抑郁症和爱一起戒掉 Tags: BE | Tragic Romance | Two Male Leads | Campus | Mutual Salvation Note: The main story is about 20 chapters, with the rest consisting of extras. [Cold and aloof Lu Yu] x [Insecure Lin Qi] Lin Qi's world is a deep blue that cannot be mixed away on a painter's palette. Lu Yu's world is a desolate place, forever weightless between the lines. Two boys, trapped for years in the depths of their emotions, secretly build a spiritual utopia just for each other in a glass room in an old building. 270Reads8.8Score18214d adds
- 50 I Fell Ill After Leaving the Conversion Camp 从戒同所出来后,我病了 Content warning: A major red flag. This is an early work by an extremely immature author, written as practice with romance, but the result isn't ideal and doesn't hold up to scrutiny. Please think carefully before reading! [Two Male Leads] [Angst] [Bittersweet] [Happy Ending] [Trauma] [Healing] [Mutual Firsts] [Chasing His Wife] Jiang Qiu saw that person's figure again. For a moment, he even wondered if he'd spent so long in hell that the faint light was finally going to pierce his eyes and leav 1.3kReads—Score12114d adds















































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