Novels like He Once Gave Me a Ray of Light
Books Chinese readers most often put in the same booklists as He Once Gave Me a Ray of Light, best match first.
- 1 President Lu, I Don’t Want Treatment Anymore 陆总，我不治了 President Lu, I’m Done with Treatment 33Reads—Score—14d adds
- 2 The Wind Never Stopped for Me 风没有为我而停留 [Tomato original + unrequited-love tragedy + a lasting regret + adapted from a true story] The summer after the college entrance exams, the class monitor organized a class reunion. Wen Jinyu had always known that Chen Shaobo had someone he could never forget, but she still bravely took the first step. “Chen Shaobo, I… I’ve liked you for a long time. Could we try dating?” “I’m sorry, but I can’t. I want to get into a university in Tianjin for her.” He was silent for a moment before answering. …L 108Reads—Score—14d adds
- 3 Fairy-Tale Graveyard 童话坟 [Secret crush + bittersweet tragedy + twists] When Tan Yuan was sixteen, her mother remarried and took her along. Forced to transfer from a small southern town to Jingbei No. 1 High School, she realized that in the vast city of Jingbei, she was just another ordinary face in the crowd. Yu Zhili, the famous boy at Jingbei No. 1 High School, had beautiful silver-white hair. He was reckless, unruly, and arrogant. He seemed like a rebellious troublemaker, yet he won countless awards during his time a 48Reads—Score—14d adds
- 4 Where the Twilight Reaches 暮光所及 In eighth grade, beneath the warm yellow light, Xu Simu felt as though she saw Death beckoning to her. Just then, Lu Yu appeared. He said, “My name is Lu Yu. The Lu Yu who draws his sword to help when he sees injustice.” That day, a rare glimmer of light appeared in her dark, sunless life. In eleventh grade, she saw the name Lu Yu in the class roll. Delighted, she watched as the light that belonged only to her appeared once more. This time, he said, “I won’t give up. Even if it costs me my life, —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 5 You're More Passionate Than Summer 你比夏天更热烈 Childhood sweethearts + sweet romance with a tragic ending + mutual secret crushes + reunion after years apart + campus + monogamous relationship, both each other’s first and only + tragic ending Cool physics professor × radiant flower shop owner / sharp-tongued top student childhood friend × oblivious, naive girl next door That midsummer, the girl drew back the classroom curtains. A breeze swept through, green filled her view, and her eyes met the boy’s, clear as rippling water. The breeze brus 10Reads—Score—14d adds
- 6 In the End, I Long for Freedom 我终究向往自由 [Youthful campus romance + secret crush + mutual devotion + tragic ending] The first time Shen Huai saw Xu Xiawei, it was as if something struck him in the heart. In an instant, he was certain that Xu Xiawei was the person destined for him. He loved Xu Xiawei, but love made him timid. He was always careful, constantly afraid of disturbing her. Shen Huai said, “I don’t want my feelings to become a burden to her.” Yet he was always sneaking glances at Xu Xiawei. When he wanted to give her a card, 4Reads—Score—14d adds
- 7 I Know Sorrow and Autumn 我知悲与秋 [College campus + youthful angst + reunion after years apart + sweet at first, then heartbreaking + BE ending + realistic + female coming-of-age] (The main story is complete. The latest bonus chapter has been posted in the Stories section on the homepage.) One autumn, Jiang Nian saw her eighteen-year-old self at the other end of the road. She held the eighteen-year-old girl tight, as if she had returned to that autumn five years ago. That day, nineteen-year-old Jiang Yiming stood amid the crowd 35Reads8.1Score—14d adds
- 8 Secret Love Is an Untitled Poem 暗恋是一首无题诗 When you're young, don't meet anyone so dazzling that you'll never forget them for the rest of your life... Everyone meets certain people along the way as they grow up. Some make your heart flutter, some bring you grief, some seem destined from a past life, and some you've met long ago. I hope these little stories will resonate with you! 78Reads—Score—14d adds
- 9 Anonymous, Dyed Warm 匿名染温 A collection of three stories: “Crossing the River Alone,” “Waiting for Winter,” and “The Promise That Came Too Late.” [School Story] + [Bad Ending] Ever since “the clay bodhisattva” showed up, Jiang Ye could tell his standing in the family was on shaky ground. Wen Ni was a “good girl” in everyone else’s eyes, but to him… “…What kind of fairy? She’s more like a bodhisattva.” Bai Lin: Jiang Ye, make sure you look after A-Ni. Jiang Ye: …So I’m just being ignored, huh? Yep, that’s definitely my re —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 10 Searching Far and Wide for a Glimmer of Light 远寻一粒光 On my birthday, I imagined a future with you. You opened the door, took the cake, and said it was a food delivery. From high school to starting our careers, I’ve known you for ten years and loved you for eight. I thought we could spend the rest of our lives together in peace, but I never expected her to come back just when you were at the height of your success. As we look up and chase the starlight ahead, we often forget that we, too, are fireworks in someone else’s sky. Based on a true story. 2Reads—Score—14d adds
- 11 Begging for Love 乞欢 [Heartbreak]+ [Unrequited Love]+ [School Romance, Bad Ending] [Redemption × Quirky, Spirited Girl × Aloof, Cold, Introverted Boy] Xia Wei was a beautiful girl who had just transferred into the class. Wild-tempered, impatient, and bold, she soon became famous throughout No. 14 High School. A gorgeous top student, she was both beautiful and formidable. People nicknamed her the Queen of Thorns. At eighteen, Xia Wei was bright and sunny, warming everyone around her like a little sun. So many student 45Reads6.6Score—14d adds
- 12 Human Shape 人样 Everyone knows that Meng Chengxian is just a dog raised by the Meng family. If anyone dares touch Meng Yancheng, he becomes a wild dog. When Meng Yancheng no longer wants him, he becomes a stray. When faced with a blood feud, he becomes a mad dog. When all is said and done, he's a dead dog left to rot in the wilderness. In the end, he never managed to live like a real person. 24Reads8.9Score—14d adds
- 13 Go See the Aurora 去见极光 Go See the Northern Lights 58Reads—Score1314d adds
- 14 A Letter in Spring 春日里的信 [Bad ending] The angst begins later on. You can decide whether to drop the novel based on the cover and synopsis. As a teenager, Shen Shuyi once had a crush on a dazzling boy. He was so bright and full of life. Reckless and upright × gentle and resilient By chance, Shen Shuyi became Xu Yi's guiding light. What he didn't know was that years earlier, she had fallen just short of the grades she needed to attend the city's top high school, where he studied. She had worked hard to match his level, 29Reads8.2Score—14d adds
- 15 My Friend, Mr. Zhong 我朋友的钟先生 From school days to the real world, a doomed unrequited love 1. Mr. Zhong belongs to my friend, not me. I have always been a despicable person, secretly in love with my friend’s boyfriend. So I deserve whatever punishment fate has in store for me. 2. Li Ying would always remember that day. In the filthy bathroom, a carefree, languid young man suddenly appeared before her like a god. Without hesitation, he took off his own jacket, looked away, and held it out to Li Ying, whose clothes were in dis 113Reads—Score—14d adds
- 16 Goodbye, Chief Hypnotist 再见，首席催眠师 Opening: "Come on, I'm the top hypnotist, you know." Ending: "Look into my eyes, Xiao Jinye. Forget me." The fateful encounter between a girl who thinks too much and a hypnotist boy who charges a fortune. 306Reads—Score10314d adds
- 17 A Secret Crush with a Hint of Tangerine 橘子味的暗恋 [Gentle academic prodigy Lin Xia × dashing bad boy heartthrob Mo Chengsheng] She never got to see that first snow, and she didn't make it through that bitter winter. Her life ended forever at the age of twenty-two. One summer, Lin Xia met Mo Chengsheng. One glance was all it took for her to fall helplessly, hopelessly in love. Her secret crush remained hidden from the world. Mo Chengsheng became a knot deep in her heart. “My name is Lin Xia.” “Mo Chengsheng.” Mo Chengsheng: “Are we not friend 70Reads8.1Score—14d adds
- 18 The White Notebook 白色记事簿 A white notebook records heartrending farewells and the difficult times patients and medical staff endure together. In the day-to-day life of a hospital, discover unspoken devotion, reflect on the unpredictable nature of humanity, and find the courage to keep going. Told from the perspective of frontline medical workers, this book records how patients face serious illness and life-or-death dilemmas, how doctors make the best medical decisions for their patients when caught between equally diffic 370Reads9.5Score10614d adds
- 19 He's More Irresistible Than Spring 他比春色撩人 Original titles: When Secrets Burn / It Turns Out We Were All Cowards Everyone gets a bad ending | A touch of ensemble cast | Bittersweet youth Su Qing'an thought that if he hid his love for Mu Xi as best he could, then after he died, she wouldn't grieve or feel sad for him. He also knew full well that he wasn't worthy of her. The only thing he could do was spend the three years he had left quietly by her side as a friend. But when a boy named Xu Yinan appeared beside Mu Xi, he still lost contro —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 20 A Secret Crush Hidden in a Diary 藏于日记的暗恋 [Redemption | Tragic unrequited love | Angsty school romance | Childhood sweethearts] [We grew up, and I lost you too.] They met when they were ten. A little girl covered in mud met a little boy as warm as sunshine. At twenty-two, Cheng An still wanted to ask, “Lin You Nian, did you ever like me?” She still remembered every word he had said: “When you're in a bad mood, eat some candy.” “Let's both try for City No. 1 High School.” “We'll grow up together.” “Work hard to make your dreams come true 199Reads8.5Score—14d adds
- 21 Glacier Rose 冰川玫瑰 Glacial Rose 297Reads—Score10314d adds
- 22 I'm Not Waiting for You Anymore 不等你了 I'm Not Waiting for You Anymore 2.2kReads—Score4914d adds
- 23 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. 514Reads8.5Score10014d adds
- 24 Please Love Me Once 请爱我一次1 Please Love Me Just Once 1 59Reads—Score314d adds
- 25 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
- 26 The Eighth Winter 第八年冬 The first time the sensitive Li Xiting fell in love, it was with Chen Nian, the boy who seemed to glow as he stood in the crowd. She carefully held on to every interest they shared, and eventually turned those interests into a goal: getting into Nan University and being with him. But life is always cruel. She got into Nan University, but she didn't get him. She was like Cinderella in a fairy tale, except she didn't have the right glass slipper. Without that slipper, she could never enter his wor 211Reads8.3Score10114d adds
- 27 I’m the One Who’s Secretly in Love with You 暗恋你的人是我 This book is based on my own life. Once I finish writing it, I can finally let go. Su Xiaoxiao is insecure, sensitive, timid, a poor student, and painfully meek. When she meets He Chi, she does her best to get closer to him, but all she can do is run after him from behind. Why does Su Xiaoxiao work so hard to get into First High School, only to transfer out later? Su Xiaoxiao will never measure up to Xia Mo, and she can never catch up to He Chi. But Wang Bo is always behind her, and she forget 126Reads8.8Score—14d adds
- 28 Sacrifice to Spring 祭春天 In the first spring after the college entrance exams, Yu Xiaoxiao is sitting in the library at Peking University when it suddenly dawns on her: that pitch-black night when he laughed until he couldn’t breathe, he was crying. [Love at first sight + mutual healing + angsty campus romance, tragic ending] Gentle boy who pretends to be a school bully × girl who pretends to be aloof but is really a top student [Boy pursues girl + devoted one-on-one romance + the clear-headed one falls hard + equal par 937Reads8.9Score19014d adds
- 29 After the Fake Heiress Died by Suicide, I Lived as Her Replacement 假千金自杀后，我活成了她替身 After the Fake Heiress Killed Herself, I Became Her Substitute 22Reads—Score—14d adds
- 30 Midsummer Is Eternal 盛夏是永恒 A girl with heart failure × a cold, short-tempered boy Mutual salvation [School-life tragedy] An eternal, unchanging love, yet it was in the brief span of my life that an eternal love was created... The little sun warmed everyone, but in the end, she couldn't escape the endless cycle of summer. Under the stars, she made a wish: "May my Luoluo have peace year after year." Little scenes: "Hey, would you be interested in dating?" "Why are you such a stick-in-the-mud?" "Why is my darling so cute?" " 309Reads8.4Score10114d adds
- 31 A Youth Wasted 虚度一个青春 Wasting Away a Youth 28Reads—Score—14d adds
- 32 Aye, I'm Leaving 阿也，我走了 [Sensitive, self-conscious heroine x gentle, sunny hero] When Lin Zhiyou was six, her father died in a car accident, and her mother raised her alone. After her mother changed jobs, eighteen-year-old Lin Zhiyou transferred to Nancheng No. 1 High School. There, she met Jiang Ye... A sensitive, self-conscious girl falls in love with a gentle, sunny boy, but the wheels of fate have not turned in her favor... 34Reads6.9Score—14d adds
- 33 Holding a Wisp of Moonlight 捧一缕月光 [Fake sweet albino beauty × rebellious racer] [Passionate, pure-hearted girl with a short life × commitment-phobic auto mechanic] [1v1, both chaste, equally matched, half school life and half adult life, healing, angst] The rumors said Racer Fifth Brother was rebellious, ill-tempered, aloof, and never gave anyone the time of day. Boss Shen was the best-known mechanic on Huainan Road: skilled, handsome, and kindhearted. Wait, weren't they the same person?! Hold on, kindhearted? Wen Wan, who'd bee 382Reads8.7Score—14d adds
- 34 Youth Burns So Bright 青春如此的热烈 [The full text has been revised. Thank you for reading!] In 2018, that summer was when Li Zheng first met Meng Qian. In 2023, Li Zheng received the last letter of Meng Qian’s life. It wasn’t youth that burned so brightly It was us A story about young people growing up and chasing their dreams. To passion, to freedom, to life. Dedicated to everyone in the world who loves their dreams. - *Introverted girl (Meng Qian) x free-spirited boy (Li Zheng) *Ensemble cast, realistic fiction 58Reads8.1Score—14d adds
- 35 Forgive Me, This World Has No Fairy Tales 原谅这世上没童话 [“I can no longer tell whether you're a friend or the love I let slip away.”] [Forgive me, from south to north; forgive me, as the ending I face turns to ash...] After ten years of living meekly, she had long since stopped expecting fairness from reality. At seventeen, she traveled alone to a small northern city, thinking nothing could pull her out of the gloom. Then a radiant boy shook her resolve. At first she resisted him, but gradually, something subtle changed between them. With him protect 54Reads9.3Score—14d adds
- 36 A Silent Kindness 无声恩 [Strong female lead, two endings, mute and unhinged, twists, two strong leads, second male lead takes the lead, school, suspense, childhood sweethearts, campus heartthrob and beauty] “I like you. Even if you really are crazy, I still like you!” “I was born in the depths of misery. I can't drag you down with me.” “She isn't just my little sister!” “Tell me, do two people count as a ‘rabble’?” “Yan Qianlin, you owe me an explanation!” “What do I owe you?” “Xiaoyi, I... love you.” 106Reads—Score—14d adds
- 37 The Year I Died Was the Year I Loved You Most 死在了最爱你的那一年 The most carefree young lady in Qinghe falls for an obscure transfer student, and from that moment on, she's smitten. ❤️ She, Yun Nanmian, was meant to be a pampered young lady. Her beloved parents gave their lives to save an obscure nobody, who had promised to be her lifelong support. It was all a lie. Every bit of it. He, Chi Shengrui, is the illegitimate son of the Chi family, cast aside by his clan and transferred to Qinghe. He should have fallen into the mire and spent his life in darkne 120Reads—Score—14d adds
- 38 You Won’t Remember Me 你不会记得我 [Simplified Chinese edition signed for publication] Chen Yuanwang can seem gentle even when he isn’t smiling. But he shows no one any special warmth. Qin Qiu’s unrequited love ends in regret. She never gets to taste the candied hawthorn Chen Yuanwang promised to treat her to, and he never remembers her. In her youth, he will forever be the male lead whose name fills her diary and whose initials cover her scratch paper. But she will never become his leading lady. 215Reads8.8Score5214d adds
- 39 My Zhizhi 我的栀栀 My Zhizhi 5.6kReads—Score17314d adds
- 40 Even a Broken-Winged Butterfly Wants to Kiss the Sea 残翅蝴蝶也想亲吻大海 “Sunny Boy with a Heart Condition, the Transfer Student × Kind Girl with Depression” [Mutual Devotion + Bad Ending + Willing to Die for Love + Tragedy + Vicious Supporting Female Character] The girl Ruodie suffers from depression. In her black-and-white world, there isn’t a glimmer of light. Her one and only wish is to see the real sea just once. Then transfer student Qi Hai enters her world, bringing her endless warmth and making her feel for the first time that the world has color. He is a boy 1kReads8.2Score33714d adds
- 41 Thoughts and Longing 念与望 Campus | Mutual pining | BE A gloomy boy plagued by misfortune | A sensitive girl always afraid of losing what she has The breeze swept past the window, lifting an orange-yellow journal that shimmered in the sunlight. On the first page, someone had written: “If you can't forget, your feelings will be answered.” Jiang Wang, the name that ran through Shen Nian's teenage years. Her first crush, at eight. Then, at fourteen, she saw him again. She stayed by Jiang Wang's side in silence. She didn't da 35Reads8.0Score—14d adds
- 42 My Setting Is That I Love Her 朕的设定是爱她 [System transmigration into a book + mutual healing + winning over a lovesick obsessive] A new historical romance from Zhier, author of one of Zhihu’s three great tragic novels, Late Departure. The main story is lighthearted and funny, but the extras will break your heart. She is his nightmare, and also his cure! He is written to love her, so no matter what she does, he will never blame her. “Yan Yu, I truly and sincerely love you. Don’t forget me, I beg you.” “Don’t be afraid. Your elder sister 386Reads8.6Score11314d adds
- 43 Secret Love Is Like a Green Plum 暗恋好似一颗青梅果 A heartbreaking BE that will make you cry your eyes out: youthful angst, unrequited love, and bittersweet longing Xia Xi's youth was shrouded in gray. Her parents' endless arguments, her classmates' distance, and the chains of social anxiety left her like a shadow in the corner, silent and invisible. That changed in her first year of high school, when the sunny Shen Yiqing became her desk mate. Cheerful and kind, he was a ray of light piercing her gloomy world. He taught her to be brave and help 5.9kReads8.6Score1.3k14d adds
- 44 Old Longings for Tang Xin 棠心旧念 Old Memories of Tang Xin 6.5kReads—Score19714d adds
- 45 The Wind Will Remember Him for Me 风会替我记住他 [School life + mutual crushes + healing + Be] Don't look at my embarrassing past. Don't make me beg you. “Gentle and sensitive” Qi Zhiyou x “sunny and outgoing” Cheng Weizhui Ten years after Qi Zhiyou died, Cheng Weizhui learned of her death. He spent a year in a daze before finally taking his own life. Scenes from his life replayed in his mind. Early autumn. When they first met, he had smiled and asked her, “What are you doing here?” Later, at a temple, he had sincerely prayed, “May my girl liv 55Reads8.2Score—14d adds
- 46 The Blind Consort 盲妃 On the wedding day of Li Wenxing, the notorious and merciless general, and Jiang Yan, the beautiful blind young master of the Jiang family, every citizen in the city kept their doors shut and dared not step outside. The streets were empty and lifeless. Jiang Yan had loved Li Wenxing for thirteen years. He had thought Li’s promise to love him faithfully was sincere, never imagining that Li not only didn’t love him, but had long since given his heart to someone else and hated Jiang to the bone. Af 352Reads6.9Score10014d adds
- 47 One Hundred Do-Overs: Side Story 《任务重来一百次》番外 Extra Story for "The Mission: One Hundred More Tries" 636Reads—Score8314d adds
- 48 The Bellflower Is Not White 桔梗不白 Every moment spent near him was full of telltale slips. A performance called unrequited love is the hardest one to pull off. - (The male lead doesn't cheat. He appears as a ghost, hoping the heroine will finally give up on him and stop grieving. He also sacrifices his reputation so netizens will stop attacking her. If someone has to be swallowed up by public opinion, he wants it to be him. It's a self-destructive attempt to save her: he gives up his life and his good name, as long as she's all r 122Reads8.1Score10514d adds
- 49 One-Man Show 独角戏 [Signed for simplified Chinese publication] I wish I were brave, but when it comes to loving you, I always feel so unworthy. 388Reads8.8Score10214d adds
- 50 Mr. Song, It's Hard to Hate You 宋先生，与你难生恨 When we kissed, our sticky saliva clung between us like a dying fish struggling for life. It had long since foretold the worst. Mr. Song, only you and I can know this hatred. | Words for Mr. Song, a whisper in the same hue as my beloved. Our memories flashed by like scenes from a film, and I remember every detail with perfect clarity. I hate that my feelings can’t be taken back, making it hard for you to choose and driving me to torment myself. 453Reads—Score10714d adds
