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.
- 101 After His Master’s Death, the Disciple Who Hated Him Went Mad 师尊死后，恨他入骨的孽徒疯了 [Two male leads + one-on-one romance, both have only ever been with each other + angsty drama + groveling reconciliation + short story] “Master, your Path of Passionlessness has shattered to pieces because of me…” “Master, you never would have guessed that your precious disciple is a demon…” “Master, the way you wag your tail and beg for pleasure in front of your disciple is truly… disgusting.” Two years ago, Ji Cangye threw Yan Leng, who had been poisoned by an aphrodisiac, into a brothel and w 648Reads8.1Score10214d adds
- 102 Just a Toy 只是玩具而已 66Reads8.4Score—14d adds
- 103 You Gave Me Deep Love and Turned My Life Upside Down 予你情深，乱我一生 Eighteen years ago, Wen Ziyu was the person He Jingyang promised to stay with forever. Eighteen years later, Wen Ziyu was locked in an attic by He Jingyang and cruelly abused. He Jingyang always said Wen Ziyu owed him and that he'd make him pay little by little. But in the end, it was He Jingyang who owed Wen Ziyu a pair of eyes, a life, and a lifetime of love and devotion. 284Reads6.8Score10014d adds
- 104 Master of His Bed, Light of His Chongli 他的枕席之主，他的重黎之光 [One-on-one romance, both leads sexually inexperienced, physical and emotional angst, uniforms, a light sci-fi space setting, slight coercion, false replacement] Nan Li looked up at Lu Lin, a tear rolling down her cheek. “Lu Lin, please let me go...” A few bolts of lightning flashed across the horizon. The tear caught their light as it fell into Lu Lin's heart, shattering his memories. “Kill me, and I'll let you go!” A short story with a short blurb. 25Reads8.0Score—14d adds
- 105 After I Gave Up Hope of Surviving My Terminal Illness, They Begged Me to Live 绝症死心后，他们求我活下去 [Two male leads + angst + groveling pursuit + ancient-style ABO] A love-starved, suspicious scum gong vs. a cold, heartbroken, frail shou The Chu family had two sons: the elder was stunningly handsome, while the younger knew both the past and the present. Rong Yong once thought he would grow old hand in hand with the elder Chu son, and become a peerless ruler and subject with the younger. But a marriage substitution shattered everything. The one he loved most became his younger brother’s fiancée 2.3kReads8.5Score25714d adds
- 106 After the Tragic Beauty Catches the Eye of a Younger Obsessive Tycoon 美强惨被年下偏执大佬盯上后 [The chase to win his wife back is underway~] Yan Qingming was lofty and peerlessly beautiful, like a tempting rose, gorgeous yet dangerous, someone everyone could only admire from afar. Everyone secretly hoped they could pull him down from his pedestal and watch him fall into the mud, where he would be theirs alone to admire... That is, until he took a frail young man home from the roadside and cared for him devotedly. In the end, that boy turned his life completely upside down! Qi Xiaolin had 420Reads6.2Score—14d adds
- 107 What Brings Joy to Life 何生欢喜 Two male leads + body-double romance + BE aesthetic “So, Xu Linxun, what am I to you? A tool you summon whenever you want and discard whenever you're done?” “Say something!” Xu Linxun's eyes were just as cold, their depths impossible to fathom, as if the feelings they had shared over the past three years had never meant a thing to him. “Say something... Tell me, even if you have to lie...” Yu Chensheng dug his fingernails into his palms, the pain cutting to the bone. Still, he forced a smile and 593Reads8.8Score10014d adds
- 108 Defective Omega 劣质omgea Their marriage was in name only, and it lasted four years. “Your pheromones disgust me.” Four years together couldn’t melt the ice between them. What was the point of desperately trying to save the relationship? The seeds of their separation had taken root long ago. Correction: The novel’s actual title is “Inferior Omega.” It can’t be changed after signing the contract, but feel free to dive into the story! 5.4kReads8.2Score51314d adds
- 109 After the Chancellor Left, the Emperor Knelt and Begged for Forgiveness 丞相走后，皇帝他跪地求原谅 Excruciating physical and emotional torment, with plenty of thrills! A volatile, twisted emperor / a stubborn, haughty, and formidable court official! Extreme angst at first, then lots of sweetness! Both are virgins, one-on-one. Three years ago, during a palace coup, Du Yuzhang abandoned his family to save the life of the one he loved. But when his beloved ascended the throne as emperor, he showed him not the slightest tenderness. From then on, by day he was Lord Du, the powerful Left Chancellor 868Reads6.1Score10314d adds
- 110 After I Returned Home, the Big Shot Begged Me to Love Him Again 回国后大佬求我再爱他一次 [Two male leads + rekindled love + groveling to win back his lover + face-slapping] [Important: The protagonist grows over time. The bottom suffers in the first half, and the top suffers in the second. The top grovels to win his lover back, and everyone gets their comeuppance. If you can endure the bottom’s suffering at first, the top will be on his knees chasing after him later.] Everyone in S City knows that business tycoon Lu Qichuan has a lover he never speaks of, a designer named Shen Zhiy 511Reads7.1Score10314d adds
- 111 Reduced to My Childhood Friend’s Canary 沦为竹马的金丝雀 To keep his childhood sweetheart alive, Lin Qianmo “betrayed” Xiao Yuan and chose to stay by the enemy emperor's side, enduring humiliation and hardship. At last, Xiao Yuan became emperor and conquered the enemy capital. Lin Qianmo thought his savior had finally arrived, but what came instead was Xiao Yuan's merciless revenge. Xiao Yuan had long been consumed by hatred over his former lover's betrayal. So Lin Qianmo was imprisoned deep in the palace like a caged songbird, humiliated and tortured 2.3kReads7.1Score14414d adds
- 112 A Thousand Dead Bones Beneath Her Makeup 妆成万骨枯 When Feng Lichen first met Jun Huai, he was merely a prince being used by others. When they met again, Feng Lichen had become an emperor who ruled the world. Whenever Feng Lichen saw Jun Huai, he called him “Huaihuai” and could hardly resist throwing himself into his arms. But Jun Huai despised him. Whenever Feng Lichen offered him his sincere affection, all he received in return was a cold stare and scorn. Jun Huai's innate loyalty made Feng Lichen love and hate him at once. He couldn't bear to 248Reads6.6Score—14d adds
- 113 Silently, I Thought It Was a Song 默以为歌 Short-tempered, childish top × stubborn beauty bottom (One-on-one + a huge bucket of melodrama + no regard for morals + rekindled love) If it's not for you, just leave. Don't force yourself to read. Yuan Moyan was a ray of light in Ning Ge's heart. But Yuan only saw him as the cuckoo who had taken over another bird's nest. He hated and despised him, and wanted him gone. By the time all the misunderstandings were cleared up, Ning Ge had already left, sick and frail. Only then did Yuan realize he 278Reads8.4Score—14d adds
- 114 After Everyone's Least Favorite Person Collapsed, They Panicked 万人嫌倒下后，他们慌了 A melodramatic, somewhat angsty story with two male leads. It has a happy ending!!!!!!! Jiang Huai’s mother died when he was too young to remember much. His father remarried, his grandmother hated him, and he had no friends or money. He had never known what it meant to be loved. Some children invited him to play, and Jiang Huai went happily. Then an accident broke his leg, leaving him lame for life. Like a blade of grass, he fought to grow between the cracks in the bricks, but not a ray of sunli 6.4kReads8.8Score46214d adds
- 115 After My Mission Failed, Both Male Leads Blew Up Their Souls for Me 攻略失败后，两个男主都为我自爆神魂 After My Pursuit Failed, Both Male Leads Self-Destructed Their Souls for Me —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 116 Loving You Was No Passing Fancy 爱你非一时兴起 [Two male leads + vulnerable bottom + coercive love + unhinged + physical and emotional abuse] A mentally ill, unhinged top and a pitiful bottom University and the working world Some angst, second male lead gets the love interest [Hypocritical, cold, pretends to be dominant top; timid, insecure, obedient bottom] Coercion begins after chapter 100 Lu Yuanming's family was very wealthy, but his parents paid him no attention and sent him to school near his grandmother's home. Yun Zhou had seen Lu Yu 33Reads—Score—14d adds
- 117 He's Just a Fool 他只是个傻子 [Boys' Love / melodrama / happy ending / modern / angst / win-back romance / silly fool fiction] Qin Yun was deemed a failure and sent to a remote mountain village to oversee the management of a mine. There he met a fool. Though dim-witted, the fool was good at taking care of others. In this impoverished backwater, Qin Yun made a move on the only little fool he found tolerable to look at. But after hurting him recklessly again and again, Qin Yun never expected the fool to say he didn't love him 62Reads8.7Score—14d adds
- 118 A Play Like Autumn Longing 戏如怜秋 [Republican-era opera singer x warlord general] BE tragedy He sang out the lives of others, yet could never tell the story of Lian Qiu's past. He hated Cheng Lian Qiu, never knowing that when he was sixteen, she had pretended to go backstage for a drink because she wanted to take him home. 9Reads—Score—14d adds
- 119 I Gave You My Heart, and You Left Me with Empty Joy 掏心于你，赠我一场空欢喜 When Shi Yi was by his side, Huo Zhanting spent every day wondering when that wicked man would die. Later, Shi Yi really did die, and Qiao Ran returned to his side. Yet Huo Zhanting spent every day wondering when Shi Yi would come back. 80Reads6.2Score—14d adds
- 120 His Deadly Tenderness Trapped Me in an Endless Cycle of Reincarnation 他的致命温柔，把我困在无尽轮回里 His Lethal Tenderness Trapped Me in an Endless Cycle of Reincarnation 27Reads—Score314d adds
- 121 The Ephemeral Blossoms in My Dreams, A Tribute to You 梦里昙花奠与卿 [A devoted, mute opera performer on the bottom × a short-tempered warlord with a possessive streak on top] Republican-era China / Tragedy / Male-Male Romance / Monogamous, devoted relationship / Happy ending (Love knows no gender; all that matters is whether two people understand each other. But in the end, they lose because they do not.) Shen Qing is a renowned opera performer. For the sake of a promise of deep love, he willingly takes off his costume and marries the warlord Nie Mingze. But 271Reads—Score—14d adds
- 122 Was It Just for Fun? Why Are You Crying Now That I Have a Terminal Illness? 不是玩玩而已？我得绝症你哭什么 Original title: Can You Leave a Sweet Orange by My Grave? Cool boxer bottom × seemingly nice-guy but actually wicked, flirtatious top (First person + chasing the spouse into the crematorium + melodrama + tragic ending) Li Feng is a coward. After learning he has a terminal illness, he decides to earn enough money and then die. Before then, a man named Qin Xiao suddenly barges into his life. Suddenly, he doesn’t want to die anymore. He wants to live. Just as he’s about to tell Qin Xiao ever 17kReads9.2Score2.2k14d adds
- 123 After the Little Blind One Loses All Hope 小瞎子心灰意冷后 [Proud, high-and-mighty bottom who suffers in silence × scumbag top who loves him deeply at first, then falls out of love] ❤️ It’s been renamed. The original title was He Once Loved Me. Don’t go looking for the wrong one, dear readers~ Qiu Jin is a Beta, yet during college he is passionately pursued by the Alpha Yang Chen. Everyone says Yang Chen will eventually fall in love with an Omega, but throughout their three years together at university, Yang Chen turns down every flirtation and cherish 840Reads8.0Score10114d adds
- 124 The Fallen Crown Prince, a Prisoner in Chains 亡国太子阶下囚 This is an angsty story: physical torment in the first half, emotional torment in the second, coercive love, imprisonment in a dark room, and revenge. Mo Jingxuan spent three years plotting the destruction of the Yu Kingdom and preparing to take revenge on its emperor. After finally fighting his way to the city walls, he discovered that the damned emperor had died just days before he could break through the gates. With nowhere else to direct his overwhelming hatred, he turned it on Lin Chen, the 645Reads6.5Score10114d adds
- 125 Before He Dies, He Wants to Give Up His Allergen 临死前，他要戒掉过敏源 [Male-male romance + angst + late-blooming devotion + the hero’s long road to winning him back] Shen Pei’an was ill. On his birthday, the doctor told him he didn’t have much longer to live. He hadn’t planned to hide it. He meant to wait until Ren Xu had celebrated his birthday with him, then tell him the truth. But the big star Ren Xu never came. All Shen Pei’an got was a birthday cake that would trigger his allergies. He was twenty-eight. It was his ninth year in love with Ren Xu. There would 1.2kReads6.6Score10114d adds
- 126 Help! My Mortal Enemy Forced Me to Marry Him 救命！我被死对头给强娶了 [Completed + two male leads + love and hate + mild coercion + younger man + one-on-one + fictional setting] [Hot-tempered, sharp-tongued, narcissistic top scholar × possessive, puppy-like regent, who later turns rabid] (The main story has a tragic ending; the extras have a happy ending. Sweet with angst, angsty with sweetness.) Alternate title: Bewitched By imperial decree, Xu Ci went from a high-ranking official to a plaything kept beneath another man's body. It all began when the all-powerful 107Reads—Score—14d adds
- 127 Abyss of the Undying: You Can't Escape 不死深渊：你逃不掉的 [Imprisonment + two male leads + one-on-one + obsessive + pathological + forced love + mutual amnesia + prison + winning back the husband + physical and emotional torment] [Devoted, love-struck top + hot-tempered, irritable bottom] Mu Yan has been kidnapped, more than once. He's always believed Jiang Yuanyu is his nemesis, the culprit who ruined everything. He hates Jiang Yuanyu for destroying his life, and tries to destroy him in turn through abuse, games, torture, and suicide. But does he real 79Reads8.1Score614d adds
- 128 The Trouble with Keeping Pets 养宠为患 [Two male leads + unhinged + yandere + angst for the bottom + satisfying read] = The ex regrets it and chases his love at the crematorium After his secret was exposed, Bai Feicheng was brutally beaten and tortured for two whole years. Unable to bear the humiliation, he fled with a broken heart. Only then did Bai Chenghao realize he had fallen in love with him. But he pursued him the wrong way, deepening the misunderstanding between them once again. Angst, bad ending or happy ending: I’ll let y 477Reads8.7Score10014d adds
- 129 Who Can I Tell My Grudge To? 恨谁诉？ Each chapter is a standalone tragic love story with an open ending, so use your imagination. Some stories are set in ancient times and others in the modern day, but they're all tragic. If that's not your thing, feel free to skip them. 651Reads8.7Score12614d adds
- 130 After Clearing a Deadly Game in a Team with the CEO, We Fell in Love 和总裁在致命游戏里组队通关后，我们恋爱了 After Teaming Up with the CEO to Clear a Deadly Game, We Fell in Love 35Reads—Score—14d adds
- 131 Could You Fall for Me Again? 重新喜欢我，好不好 Gentle, reserved bottom × bewitchingly handsome playboy top Shen Qian’en had loved Gu Chenjing for seven years, and they had been together for four. What began as mutual affection had become a one-sided love, and he had no idea what had happened along the way to make Gu Chenjing treat him like this... Until he heard Gu Chenjing say, “I stopped loving him a long time ago. I only keep him around out of habit. He’s good at taking care of me.” … 1.2kReads6.1Score13014d adds
- 132 After Winning My Wife Back, I Started Desperately Making It Up to Her 认回老婆后开始疯狂找补 Dual male leads, ABO angst, mutually exclusive first loves, a groveling chase to win back his spouse, a business marriage, and a happy ending Content warning: Old-school melodramatic angst. The leads were kidnapped as children, and the top has poor eyesight, so he mistakes someone else for his beloved early on. He treats his spouse terribly and is a real jerk, but later enters a groveling chase to win him back. If you can't handle old-school melodrama and a terrible top, don't read this. Cruel, 37Reads8.0Score414d adds
- 133 Go Left at the Light, Right at the Crossing 左灯右行 “Who are you in my eyes? Who do you want me to stand in for? We trade each other’s joys and sorrows, and the one who loves more is always the first to cry.” “Embracing you wears you out. The one who loves more is always the first to turn false.” Liao Juntao, “Who” “I love you, and it’s like driving against the lights.” Tanya Chua, “Red High Heels” So, if two people aren’t right for each other, they shouldn’t get together in the first place. You agree, Gu Xiangbei? Character setup: A street-c 1.8kReads9.2Score26614d adds
- 134 A Kiss in the Ashen Sanctuary 烬吻圣狱 [Mystery and Tormented Romance x Ultimate Romance x Two Powerful Leads Turned Dark x A Divine Showdown x Rise to Godhood] Ashen Kiss, Sacred Prison: When Two Gods Go to War Over Me. I personally cast Xue Hen from the altar and climbed to the top over his downfall. Until he returned from hell and swore in my ear: “The death you gave me, you will repay with the rest of your life.” From then on, I fell into the web he had carefully spun, trapped in a dangerous, deadly game. “Does it hurt?” His fing 2Reads—Score114d adds
- 135 Finger Bone 指骨 [Warning: questionable values] I have no name. As far back as I can remember, I've been a dog. Because my sense of smell and hearing are naturally sharp, a human trafficker kept me by his side. No one cared how old I was. I was probably a little older than Song Junlan when I met him. He had been sold to a wealthy family to live as their young master. We met again because I was given a job and offered a huge sum of money: Song Junlan's sister had hired someone to kill him. 35Reads8.5Score714d adds
- 136 He Doesn't Want to Die 他不想死 Wen Yan transmigrated into a comic full of scummy tops and became a cannon-fodder character who committed every kind of evil before being tortured to death. To survive, Wen Yan did everything he could to leave the protagonist's group and avoid meeting the original character's fate. At the beginning of the story, everyone looked down on him and treated him like dirt. Tang Beichen: “He's just a disobedient dog. Bring him back, break his spine and teeth, and he'll be trained in no time.” So he crip 2.6kReads8.7Score10714d adds
- 137 Front Teeth 2. 门牙2. Front Teeth 2. 16Reads—Score—14d adds
- 138 Forced to Submit 被迫顺从 [Two male leads + angsty forced love + groveling-to-win-him-back + irresistible charmer] Emotionally cold scum gong × stubborn, down-on-his-luck beauty shou “Five million. Marry Fu Yan.” Caught in a scheme, Shen Mu was sold into the Fu family by his own mother. Fu Yan hated him to the core, simply because Shen Mu had taken the place of the person Fu Yan held dearest in his heart. “Fu Yan, how did your dad pick such a piece of junk for you?” Shen Mu became a laughingstock throughout Rongcheng. Fo 2.1kReads8.0Score10414d adds
- 139 Salvation in the Deep 救赎深陷 [Anthology + BL + pure love + possessiveness + angst + mental illness + healing + protagonists with psychological disorders] An anthology of four stories Story One: A repressed, obsessive, manic puppy-like top VS a gentle, slow-to-realize bunny-like bottom (Li Zize and Shen Luochen). Complete. First the top suffers, then the bottom. A calculating man edges closer step by step, driving away everyone around him so he can keep his love all to himself. Story Two: A bottom with severe mental illness 52Reads—Score—14d adds
- 140 Married Off to the Enemy General 代嫁敌将 “Turning a general with such overwhelming pride into one of my people would be a pleasure in itself. It would be the greatest humiliation I could inflict on you…” Su Qinghan, a great general, is forced to take his country's princess's place in a political marriage and become the enemy kingdom's crown prince consort, enduring one humiliation after another. The crown prince initially treats Su Qinghan as nothing more than a play 707Reads8.4Score10614d adds
- 141 The Book Between Two Worlds: The Emperor’s Caged Phoenix Breaks Its Neck at Last 两界书：帝王囚凰终折颈 [Both virgins + groveling redemption + palace and household intrigue + tragic romance] On my first day as a princess sent off for a political marriage, he made me drink poisoned wine. What he didn’t know was that I was a modern-day expert in pharmacology and toxicology, a veritable King of Hell. He suspected me, despised me, and abandoned me. At every turn between life and death, he chose someone else. He thought he loved his unattainable first love, so he protected her and trusted her. He had 46Reads—Score—14d adds
- 142 My Boyfriend Is the Ultimate Boss of a Horror Game!! 我的男友是诡异游戏的终极boss！！ My Boyfriend Is the Final Boss of a Horror Game!! 117Reads—Score—14d adds
- 143 Sleeping Peacefully Beneath the Sophora Tree 顾枕槐安 Younger man + substitute + love grows over time + regretful pursuit of the ex + putting scumbags in their place + angst, angst, and more angst!!! Before he turned eighteen, Du Huai’an had no father in his life. The year he turned eighteen, his mother, who had raised him alone, was diagnosed with stomach cancer. So she took him to meet the man who was supposedly his father. That was when he learned his father was the head of the prestigious Zhu family in Jingyuan. He entered the Zhu family as the 1.4kReads8.4Score13714d adds
- 144 A Twisted, Tormenting Love 变态虐恋 A twisted, sadistic top × a gentle, kind-hearted bottom [Two male leads + twisted and sadistic + groveling redemption + HE] Angst! Lots of angst! Read with caution! (The author has a very sound moral compass, so you can rest assured.) Because of his family circumstances, Shao Wenyu's personality grows more and more twisted. He hates anything he can't control. Yet he can reserve all his tenderness for the one person he loves, his white moonlight. But he never expected that one day he would be re 4.4kReads8.2Score25514d adds
- 145 Front Tooth 1 门牙1 Front Tooth 1 102Reads—Score—14d adds
- 146 Are You Crazy, Young Master Yun? 疯了吧！云少 This is a side pairing from my first long novel, spun off into a short story of its own. It mixes sweetness with angst. My writing used to be rough, and I wasn't good at controlling the pacing, so I recommend starting from Chapter Four and jumping straight into the main story. Shi Ziqing had been Yun Xuan's canary for three years. Yun Xuan had only meant to leave him alone for a while, just loosen his grip a little, but Shi Ziqing actually dared to fly away and pursue grand ambitions. How could 72Reads—Score—14d adds
- 147 He’s Lost Control 他已失控 [Two male leads + love and hate + winning back his wife after driving her away + punishing scumbags] Gu Yanchi: The more starved for love someone is, the more likely they are to convince themselves that giving everything is what they should do. Lin Du: So, do you still love me? You don't anymore, do you... 3.4kReads8.9Score29514d adds
- 148 Unable to Love 无法去爱 A collection of short, angsty stories about two male leads. Loving someone is easy, but finding happiness in that love is impossible. The tragic song of a chaotic age is destined to be sung, and all we can do is watch, unable to love each other. A love that cuts to the bone will last forever. I hope their stories leave you with a sense of loyalty amid the sorrow. There are many people in this world who cannot love each other, yet in truth, they have already found redemption. 58Reads—Score—14d adds
- 149 The Spoiled Heir Was Forced to Become a Concubine! 纨绔世子被逼当妾后！ The Spoiled Young Lord Is Forced to Become a Concubine! 541Reads—Score—14d adds
- 150 The Young Lord Planted a Night-Pleasure Gu, and the General Wept 世子种下夜欢蛊后，将军哭了 The Heir Apparent Wept After the General Planted the Night-Pleasure Gu 275Reads—Score914d adds
