Novels like Those Carefree Days of Youth
Books Chinese readers most often put in the same booklists as Those Carefree Days of Youth, best match first.
- 1 The Lady Detective: Royal Secrets 女神探之王室隐秘 [Mystery and deduction] [Historical romance] [A powerful couple] [Romance] Jing Han is the young master of Taiyuan Pavilion, the largest martial arts sect in the realm, and also a criminal investigator for the Xuanji Bureau of the Jinwu Kingdom. Jing Han has a romantic history with Prince Huai of Jinwu. But Prince Huai is about to marry Yun Shang, a princess of the Yun Kingdom, and just before the wedding, another princess being escorted to the ceremony, Yun Nong, is attacked in Jinwu. Jing Han 6Reads—Score—14d adds
- 2 The Corpse Bride in the Wedding Sedan 花轿里的腐尸新娘 —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 3 The Silent Flaw 无声的破绽 A Silent Flaw —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 4 Bitter Fruit 恶果 Police officer Wu Zheng is caught up in a locked-room murder case and is killed to cover it up. His father, Wu Ming, sets out to uncover the truth for his son. A bathroom concealing hidden secrets, a mysterious rain village, an eerie research institute: following a trail of clues, he draws closer to the evil that was set in motion twenty years ago... 66Reads8.8Score—14d adds
- 5 Veronica’s Room 维罗尼卡的房间 Veronica's Room 1Reads—Score—14d adds
- 6 Kill Every Quail That Strays Alone 杀死所有落单的鹌鹑 Light mystery ✖️ dual male leads ✖️ detective ➕ police ✖️ Japanese-style novel Adapted from the murder-mystery game Kill All the Quails Left Alone Kawashima Ryosuke, hailed as the 20th century's greatest detective, takes on a difficult case and meets the person who will change his life forever. —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 7 Homicide 他杀Homicide [The sharp-tongued, calculating psychological expert Xia Linyuan X the funny, adorable forensic assistant Cheng Xue] (Don’t read this if you’re looking for a sweet romance!) Every bizarre murder case here raises questions about human nature that deserve deep reflection. Is the truth really what we imagine it to be? Through silent testimony and traces left in the heart, the main cast gradually lifts the veil on each mystery, exploring the secrets of human nature and the boundaries between love an 1Reads—Score—14d adds
- 8 The Sleuthing Scumbag 渣探 (Mystery + thriller + mind-bending) When a former scumbag boss gets out of prison and doesn’t plan to make a comeback or reclaim his territory, but instead becomes a detective, you’d better watch out. What happens when ruthlessness, cunning, scheming, and viciousness are all turned toward solving crimes? Every crime and conspiracy will be crushed completely! As the saying goes, only a villain can deal with another villain. For the sake of justice in his heart, he doesn’t mind playing the devil f 84Reads—Score—14d adds
- 9 City Detective: Zhao Wuwei Tracks Down Bizarre Cases 都市神探：刑警赵无畏的奇案追踪 In a nutshell, it’s a passionate story about a brilliant detective and an insightful psychologist teaming up to solve baffling urban cases, unravel one mystery after another, and protect the city’s peace and justice. 1Reads—Score—14d adds
- 10 I Was Just Fishing by the Roadside, So How Did I Become the Godfather of Criminal Investigation? 路边摸个鱼，咋成刑侦祖师爷了 [Out-of-the-box crime investigation] [Unexpectedly flashy protagonist] [System-powered] [Lighthearted everyday life] [High-IQ mind games] [A laid-back traffic cop who just wants to clock out on time vs. a major-crimes unit at its wits’ end] The protagonist is a grassroots traffic cop who absolutely hates trouble. Every day, all he wants is to hand out parking tickets, hit his quota, and clock out on time. But one day, while ticketing a van parked illegally by the roadside, the nervous owner tri 12Reads—Score—14d adds
- 11 The Mingcha Bureau's Transmigration Case Files 明察司穿越探案录 Shen Du transmigrates to the Great Yan Kingdom, where he serves as the captain of an investigation squad in the Mingcha Bureau. He has only two constables under him, one fat and one thin. The fat constable excels at examining physical evidence, while the thin one is skilled at gathering intelligence and tracking suspects. Strange cases break out one after another across the kingdom: locked-room murders, hauntings, and long-unsolved injustices. Everyone blames ghosts and gods. Drawing on modern f —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 12 Disappeared on July 5 消失在7月5日 Disappeared on July 5 4Reads—Score—14d adds
- 13 Has My Girlfriend Been Kidnapped? 我女朋友被绑架了吗？ First it was kidney-harvesting gangs in Myanmar, now there’s a dismemberment case in Thailand. Lin Xiaoyan, a female influencer, is kidnapped and held for ransom while traveling in Thailand. Who abducted her? Her boyfriend, Li Mingbo, is frantic with worry and decides to go to T Country himself to find the truth, gradually uncovering a vast conspiracy hidden in the shadows. 3Reads—Score—14d adds
- 14 Detective: The Perfect Partners 侦探：最佳拍档 She had dreamed of becoming a police officer since childhood. After earning her master’s degree, she joined the criminal investigation squad as she had always hoped. From the Qing-dressed beauty case to a serial murder case and, later, countless other mysteries, Chen Bailu quickly grew into her role, working side by side with Captain Zhang Tao and getting along well with her colleagues. 2Reads—Score—14d adds
- 15 The Distance of Sin 孽之距 This novel is part of a mystery series. After finishing the college entrance exam, protagonist Li Sihang visited his girlfriend’s home to meet her parents for the first time. A murder took place in the house. He was knocked unconscious by a blow to the head and suffered a mild concussion, while everyone in his girlfriend’s family was killed. Afterward, he applied to join the police and eventually became a criminal investigator. He hoped that his efforts would help his girlfriend rest in peace so —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 16 Standing Behind You 站在你背后 [Murder or suicide? Heiress x down-and-out orphan, true love or tragic romance] After dropping out of college in his sophomore year, orphan Liu Xiaobing was sentenced to eight years in prison. He had run over his girlfriend's father, Bai Qiantian, chairman of Baiyuan City's Taian Genetics Group. Eight years later, Bai Shuangshuang was married and had a daughter, Ding Wan'er. Wu Yue, captain of the Baiyuan City Public Security Bureau, received an anonymous letter accusing Liu Xiaobing of intentio 2Reads—Score—14d adds
- 17 The Detective Returns from Prison 刑警出狱 Who is the killer? (No spoilers, please) A year after his father went missing, Shang Jie is released from prison and forms the Third Criminal Investigation Brigade. While investigating a serial murder and sexual assault case, Shang Jie unexpectedly finds his father's watch. The case also brings to light the 312 shooting from years ago. Cases spanning different eras are the hardest to solve. With his ability to read minute clues in water, Shang Jie leads the Third Brigade step by step toward the 72Reads—Score—14d adds
- 18 The Case of the Six-Petaled Snowflake 六角雪花迷案 A fire breaks out at a villa, and a dismembered corpse is discovered inside. Yet the scene where the body was cut apart is a hundred li away. How did the killer travel between the two places using an invisible thread? And why are the survivors of the fire dying one after another… As the investigation gradually deepens, more and more clues emerge, yet the case continues to move toward an impossible dead end… 123Reads—Score10214d adds
- 19 The Huazhuang River Mystery 花庄河迷案 (No romance) (No angst) (No sweetness). Read with caution if that bothers you. A father and son reunite after years apart. A carefully plotted murder, over two decades of hatred: it all unfolds at a school with more than a century of history. As the saying goes, “No one knows a century-old school until a case breaks, then the whole world hears of it.” In this story, you’ll find yourself and me, along with human nature that is impossible to see through or explain. 38Reads—Score—14d adds
- 20 Detective Wang's Cases 王捕探案 Wang Fan, constable of Qingchuan Town, is upright and impartial. When it comes to cases, he seeks only the truth and cares about nothing else. The townsfolk have nicknamed him Wang Tiezhu, a name that reflects both their affection for him and their respect for his work. And now, Wang Tiezhu’s detective adventures begin... 240Reads—Score—14d adds
- 21 Cavities 1 龋齿1 In short, tooth decay means cavities: the progressive destruction of the hard tissues of a tooth, an irreversible form of damage. The human heart is much the same. When it is hurt, the wound takes deep root and cannot be erased, slowly eating away at it... 4Reads—Score—14d adds
- 22 Transmigrate to the Ming Dynasty: The Coroner Princess 穿越到大明之仵作王妃 Su Quaner, a famous mystery writer, unexpectedly transmigrates to the Jiajing era of the Ming Dynasty. When she wakes up, she finds herself lying in a coffin, on a bed of glittering silver. Her luck is terrible: still dazed, she is mistaken for a thief who stole government silver and thrown in jail. Luckily, she enjoys using her head. After helping the county magistrate solve several murder cases, she manages to save her own life. But she isn't looking for trouble for no reason. This is the only 1Reads—Score—14d adds
- 23 They All Want Him Dead 他们都想他死 In the eighteenth year of the Republic, on a stormy night in Jiangzhou, the richest man in the city, Mo Gui'nian, was found brutally murdered in his own study, stabbed thirteen times. Inside the sealed mansion, there were seven suspects: the four concubines each had their own schemes, the young master and young mistress hid murderous intentions, and both the steward and the captain of the guards had their own agendas. Everyone had a secret. Everyone wanted someone dead. The only perfect alibi co —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 24 Echoes of Blood 血字残响 A plain silver band links a bloody, unsolved case spanning twenty-seven years. A family slaughtered on a rainy night, power that reaches the heavens, and a revenge plot that leaves him transformed from victim to prisoner. Fine scratches serve as evidence, skin flakes as proof. Every crime hidden in the darkness will eventually be exposed in the sunlight. The last echoes of blood-written words fade, and justice finally finds its way home. 1Reads—Score—14d adds
- 25 Falling for a Magical Girl Is Only Natural 爱上魔法少女人之常情 [Strong Female Lead] [Mild Horror] [Secret Identity] [Adult Magical Girl] [Everyone's Favorite] [A Mashup of All Kinds of Worlds] An incredibly powerful, guileless heroine in a one-woman, multiple-partner romance, with partners including but not limited to demon immortals, alien life-forms, beastfolk, a fellow magical boy, a gifted young cultivator, a prince of another race, a crime boss, gods, and more. Have you ever seen an adult magical girl? Have you been caught up in all kinds of unbelievab —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 26 A Crazy 1970s Detective Flirts with Me 七零疯批刑警撩我 A twisted criminal-investigation expert x a fiery female detective: solving cases and secret crushes heat up in tandem! Linjiang City, the 1970s. I'm Lin Xiaoman, the only female detective at the local police station. I solve cases with my fists and crack them with my instincts. That day, I met him: Shen Yan. A criminal-investigation expert from the provincial department, dressed in a suit and as cold as an iceberg. The first time we met, he gripped my wrist, stared at my stopped watch, and smil —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 27 Murder in Doubt 谋杀疑云 In September 2006, the body of a young man was discovered in an abandoned villa on the outskirts of town. His hands were tied, and his body was kneeling. The killer had been careful and left no traces. Before long, another young man’s body was found. The method of murder was almost identical. But as the police continued their investigation, Captain Ma Wenchao gradually began to suspect someone he knew well. Yet that person had a perfect alibi for every one of the crimes. 118Reads—Score—14d adds
- 28 Dreambound Bookshop 缘梦书局 A gifted detective with special abilities teams up with a beautiful agent of extraordinary strength. Using a bookstore as their base, they investigate the dark side of society. One baffling case after another, layer upon layer of domestic and foreign forces lurking in the shadows: whether through perfect teamwork or overwhelming ability, neither corrupt power brokers, rampant criminal gangs, nor traitors within national security can escape the bookstore’s scrutiny. French gangsters, Vietnamese p 1Reads—Score—14d adds
- 29 Wrong Body: A Deadly Game of Two Faces 错躯：双面死局 [Mystery + mind-bending + body swap] It seemed like an ordinary kidnapping spree, but it dragged him into an endless abyss... When he woke up, police detective Chen Yuan had switched bodies, and with none other than the kidnapper he was hunting... —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 30 The Journey Through Fuchuan 府川行 (A historical mystery with no special abilities and no transmigration. Every case is solved through logical deduction, and the schemes and power struggles are grounded in real insight.) Lin Wuwei looked at the corpse before him and said, “If this were the only corpse, it would be far too simple!” 1Reads—Score—14d adds
- 31 A Box Set of Highly Rated Mystery and Suspense Novels (3 Books) 高评推理悬疑小说套装（共3册） This work brings together three highly rated mystery novels: The Invisible Elephant, Plum Blossom Nail, and The Long Night Is Coming. The Invisible Elephant: Elephant, whose real name is Wu Xing, is a newspaper reporter with an extraordinary sense of smell. He needs eight and a half hours of sleep every day and is afraid of camera flashes. One day, while working, he comes across a bizarre murder. The victim was strangled to death with a rope, dressed in a red bellyband, blindfolded with black cl 15Reads9.1Score—14d adds
- 32 Officer Han, Want to Fall in Love? 韩警官谈恋爱吗 “Officer Han, would you like to fall in love?” “When life and death hang in the balance.” Lin Xi’s lips gently brushed Han Zhe’s forehead. This is a story about a couple who never misunderstand each other, gradually fall in love, and clear away layer after layer of mystery. This is my first time writing. I hope you’ll be kind to me. 27Reads—Score—14d adds
- 33 Criminal Investigation Unit 刑侦调查组 [Criminal investigation + case-solving + suspense + romance] A discarded corpse found in the mountains outside Xingzhou shattered the peace and presented the Xingzhou Public Security Bureau with a daunting challenge. The body raised countless questions. Was it murder or an accident? Was this the beginning of some terrible event, or was it already nearing its end? No one had the answers. They only knew that the truth was far from simple. The team immediately launched an intensive investigation. 278Reads—Score10314d adds
- 34 Detective Boyfriend: Forensic Doctor Jiang, Take Your Knife 神探男友：江法医，拿好你的刀 She is a legendary magician with miraculous hands. Her delicate fingers can probe wounds and measure body temperature, and her technique rivals that of a top-tier star surgeon. She can dissect a body and put it back together without leaving a single flaw. He is a world-class genius who has solved countless cases. Reserved and arrogant, he has an extraordinary memory and never forgets anything he sees. When two extraordinary people meet, will they clash or find kindred spirits in each other? One 89Reads5.4Score—14d adds
- 35 Strange Cases of the Tang Dynasty 唐朝诡案 Set during the Tang Dynasty, this novel tells the thrilling, legendary tale of Li Chang’an, a man of humble origins who becomes a county magistrate through a stroke of fate. From then on, he uses the wit of an ordinary man to crack extraordinary cases and outsmart corrupt officials at every level. 35Reads—Score—14d adds
- 36 Live Well 要好好活着 Film and television rights have been sold. A sexy, cool, and capable middle-aged female driver picks up a young man on the road who is bent on dying, and gradually rekindles his desire to live. What seems like a romantic encounter is actually a carefully planned revenge by the heroine... 8Reads—Score—14d adds
- 37 The Beloved Imperial Physician: Your Highness, Let Me Examine You 权宠医妃：王爷验个身 [One-on-one romance + revenge on scumbags + strong heroine + satisfying read + pursuit of wife + sweet romance + mystery] A forensic doctor, skilled in both medicine and poison, wakes up in the body of an unloved abandoned concubine. On her first day as a bride, she’s framed for poisoning someone to death? Not a chance! With a clever plan, she uncovers the truth and clears her name. Her willow-leaf scalpel can heal the living, examine the dead, take on scheming bitches, and cut straight to the h 15Reads6.8Score—14d adds
- 38 The Beginning of the Abyss 深渊之开端 [Mystery + deduction + criminal investigation + transmigrate + another world] There's a reason people tell you to watch where you're going and not play with your phone! Look, one careless step and you fall into an underground passage! From then on, your family is ruined and your loved ones are lost! One murder case follows another! In the end, you even lose yourself! Are you an idiot? You'd really tap to connect to a red Wi-Fi signal? And add a stranger on WeChat just like that? You'd get sold a —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 39 Endless Winter Night 寒夜无尽 A frozen corpse is discovered beneath a rural overpass far from the city. What seems like a simple murder case runs into obstacle after obstacle, and the clues received by police officer He Jian point straight to the region's largest conglomerate, Wanjing Group. A murder hidden by time, three lives lost over more than a decade, laid-off workers, executives who died horrific deaths, and a corruption network that appears and disappears from view... Can a low-ranking police officer shake the iron c 6Reads8.1Score—14d adds
- 40 Edge of the Truth (Two-Book Set) 真相边缘（全二册） A bizarre murder takes place in a residential complex blanketed with surveillance cameras, and the killer mysteriously vanishes on camera. At the request of his friend Yu Dongqing, Xu Huan, a former star detective, agrees to help investigate. As the case unfolds, a series of inexplicable developments make it increasingly convoluted, and Xu Huan himself is drawn into the strange and inscrutable mystery. He gradually discovers that this case is only the tip of the iceberg in a vast conspiracy... A —Reads8.6Score—14d adds
- 41 When the Fog Lifts: The Mystery of the 307 Ghost Ship’s Appearance 迷雾散尽时，307幽灵船现身之谜 When the fog clears, the mystery of Ghost Ship 307’s appearance —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 42 Terror at the Girls’ School: The Mystery of the 307 Fall 女校惊魂之307跳楼之谜 Terror at the Girls’ School: The Mystery of the 307 Jump —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 43 Werewolf, Open Your Eyes: Revenge on a Blood Moon 狼人请睁眼，血夜复仇 Werewolf, Open Your Eyes: Revenge on Blood Night —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 44 Reborn as a Young Wife: A Village Official in the 1980s 重生小媳妇，我在八零年代当村官 [No clichés, no invincibility, no System, no wish fulfillment. If that bothers you, read at your own risk]☜ Lin Xiao, a college student about to graduate, accidentally falls from a building and transmigrates into the body of a newlywed in Peach Blossom Village. She had planned to keep a low profile, raise dogs, and farm, but her modern way of thinking catches the village chief's attention. Between the trouble caused by her awful sisters-in-law and her bond with a mysterious puppy, she is dragged —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 45 Bone Reading and Evil Divination: A Republic-Era Ghost Detective Casebook 摸骨断凶：民国鬼探奇案录 In the tumultuous years of the Republic, bizarre cases abound. A woman’s corpse lies in the City God Temple, with an untold secret hidden between her bones. The Zhang residence’s red coffin holds shattered bones, while a curse and its mysteries haunt the wealthy family. A famous performer from the Fengming troupe dies onstage, and the theft of the remains leads to a blood feud... Shen Ci’an, Nanjing’s heir to the art of bone reading, examines bones with skilled hands to expose killers and see t —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 46 The Missing Couple 消失的夫妻 [Based on real cases] [Two famous real cases + four imaginative short stories + three cases from personal experience (ongoing updates, with a little guide to avoiding scams)] From the moment Hu Jiayan and Jiang Ting returned home, everything was already set in stone. Killing the two demons in front of them would not save Jiang Ting. But doing nothing and giving them everything they wanted would still mean death in the end. At first, Hu Jiayan thought getting a second chance was a gift from Heave 270Reads—Score—14d adds
- 47 Interrogating Corpses, Punishing the Guilty 刑尸问罪 He is assigned to solve a case, but it is so bizarre that he has no choice but to call in an expert. To crack it, he pulls exhausting all-nighters translating documents and even has to pretend to be married to a colleague. 105Reads8.0Score—14d adds
- 48 The Order of the Gods 诸神秩序 [Secret organization + alternate setting + mystery + one heroine + mind games + passionate] A mysterious young man returns from abroad to the city and quickly marries into a family of criminal investigators. A murder case turns him into a special adviser to the police force... —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 49 Mystery Detective Li Jin 悬疑侦探李金 The mystery of the Ghostface Reef treasure The “perfect locked-room” suicide The “ghost” serial cases The mystery of the blood curse at the old mansion The mystery of the Mount Wuyin murders Li Jin, captain of the city criminal investigation team, is a name that strikes fear into the hearts of criminals. To his friends, he is a “master detective”; to his subordinates, he is their “rock”; to criminals, he is a “nightmare.” 3Reads—Score—14d adds
- 50 Fresh Out of School and a Homicide Detective, I Find a Body on Day One 刚毕业当刑警，第一天就碰上尸命 Lin Zhixia, a rookie policewoman newly assigned to the Major Crimes Unit, is sorting through old evidence from a decade ago when her fingertips accidentally brush against a long-buried knife sheath. It leads her to a secret clue that has been lurking inside the police station for ten years. Then there’s a scrap of adhesive left at a murder scene in a locked room, seven crooked characters carved into the victim’s blade, and the strange details of a suspect loudly proclaiming his innocence after b 10Reads—Score—14d adds
