Novels like I Let You Down
Books Chinese readers most often put in the same booklists as I Let You Down, best match first.
- 1 A Short Story, Shattered Beyond Repair 故事很短，碎的彻底 [A slow-to-open, well-behaved girl from a family that favors boys over girls × a cool, handsome guy from a single-parent family who is cold on the outside but warm within. Short story, first person, female protagonist's perspective, family conflict, misunderstandings and reconciliation, tearjerker, character growth, sweet moments, tragic ending] I was born into a family that favored boys over girls. From a young age, I did my best to play the part of the “good daughter,” the “good big sister,” a 4Reads—Score—14d adds
- 2 The Emperor Fell for the Empress, but I’m His Former Love, the Imperial Consort 皇帝爱上皇后，可我是旧爱贵妃 The Emperor Falls in Love with the Empress, but I'm His Former Beloved Consort 1Reads—Score—14d adds
- 3 The Year She Drew a Sun for Me in the Basement 地下室那年，她给我画了个太阳 The year we were in the basement, she drew me a sun 1Reads—Score—14d adds
- 4 My Love Is by My Side, Yet Hundreds of Years Away 爱人在身边，却隔几百年 My Beloved Is by My Side, Yet Centuries Away —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 5 I Fell in Love with Someone Before I Died 我在死之前爱上了一个人 I Fell in Love with Someone Before I Died 4Reads—Score—14d adds
- 6 There Was No Forgiveness in the Suicide Note 遗书里没有原谅 There Was No Forgiveness in the Suicide Note —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 7 The Page Corner 页角 [Ensemble cast, psychological suspense, multiple perspectives, slow-paced, not a power fantasy, everyone is evil, no couples, coming of age, bad ending] There will be no narration from the heroine's point of view, yet the entire story is about her. The world shapes her, and she connects it all. The novel is divided into three volumes. Through the people around the heroine, you will come to know her, understand her, and become another person by her side. Each volume will introduce new points of v —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 8 Mr. Lu, Your Substitute Wife Has Given Up on Love 陆总，您的替身夫人已心死 President Lu, Your Substitute Wife Has Lost All Hope —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 9 Love That Comes Too Late Is Worth Less Than Grass 晚来的深情，比草贱 Affection That Comes Too Late Is Worth Less Than Grass —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 10 Two Hundred Thousand for His Life, and All He Said Was, "Another Scam" 二十万救命钱，换他一句“又是骗局” Two Hundred Thousand in Lifesaving Money, in Exchange for His Accusation: "Another Scam" —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 11 Spring Comes Before the Chill Fades 料峭不知春 [Bad Ending · Tormented Romance · Betrayal · Descent · Entanglement · Fate] This year brought a rare warm winter. On an ordinary sunny day, a couple moved in next door to Wen Wen, and from that moment on, fate began staging the drama it had arranged. Wen Wen had wagered everything on a youthful love and paid dearly for the impulsive choices she had once made. Yet this winter, she watched him climb onto the neighbor girl’s motorcycle and ride off in pursuit of a thrilling new romance. Xiao Hai, b 2Reads—Score—14d adds
- 12 What Happens When a Human Falls in Love with an AI? 人类爱上了一个AI会怎样 What happens when a human falls in love with an AI? 5Reads—Score—14d adds
- 13 The Days She and I Shared 我和她的日子 [Childhood Friends | Healing Old Regrets | Coming of Age | Tender Bittersweet Ending | Witty Banter] She was the curly-haired little girl next door, my childhood friend, and the regret I buried deep in my heart, the one I never dared to unearth again. When we were little, she'd throw orange candies at my face and shout, “You lazy pig, get up!” Later, she'd wait for me in the snow, rubbing her hands together. “You lazy pig, it's snowing again this year.” Later still, she'd lean against my shoulde 6Reads—Score—14d adds
- 14 Meng Ping'an, Dream of Peace 孟平安，梦平安 A girl who was abandoned four times chose to die alone just as someone finally came along to love her. Her name was Meng Ping’an. She spent her whole life longing for peace, but never found it. 226Reads—Score11414d adds
- 15 Light Pierces the Shadows 阴影透了光 Chen Piao was lucky enough to meet, in her youth, someone who would leave her dazzled for the rest of her life. He was confident and sunny, gracious and kind, cheerful and openhearted. His world was filled with spring sunshine and dazzling light. Chen Piao, on the other hand, was cold and indifferent, her deep-seated insecurities and childhood shadows leaving her seemingly uninterested in everything. Apart from her strikingly beautiful face and a reputation for being dull, she had nothing... Two 1Reads—Score—14d adds
- 16 Can We Be Well-Matched in Our Next Life? 我们下辈子门当户对好不好 Can We Be a Perfect Match in Our Next Life? —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 17 As Long as We Don't Part in Death, We Can Work Anything Out 只要不是死别，什么都好说 As long as we don't have to part in death, anything can be worked out. 7Reads—Score—14d adds
- 18 I’ll Wait for You in Guizhou 我在贵州等你 (Print edition signed) [Mutual healing + youth and school life + reunion after a long separation + small-town fiction] [Artistic, haughty girl and cold, gloomy boy] -Story Complete- During her second year of high school, Xia Yu transferred from bustling Shanghai to what seemed like backward Guizhou. By sheer coincidence, she met the neighbor who lived upstairs from her aunt’s home. The only problem was, he didn’t seem very “friendly”! The boy who tossed her luggage out of the van, the boy who 272Reads—Score—14d adds
- 19 I Hid in Your Shadow, Yet All I Wanted Was to Be with You 我躲进了你的影子里，却只想和你在一起 I hid in your shadow, yet all I wanted was to be with you 9Reads—Score—14d adds
- 20 Her Departure 她的远离 Can a sensitive, conflicted girl and a devoted, warmhearted boy really make it to the end together? Maybe separating is the best choice. Cheng Ning kept thinking, “If I could start over, I’d choose not to meet you. Then there would be two fewer people in this world who wasted their youth...” But Shi Sangye had never regretted meeting her. “Xiao Ning, my heart aches for you.” Those words slowly taught Cheng Ning to rely on others, to express herself, and to love herself. The years I spent studyin 18Reads—Score—14d adds
- 21 May Time Never Betray Deep Love 岁月不负深情 If I leave, remember that someone once loved you with all his heart. I waited through long years for you to care, only to end up closing my heart. 29Reads8.0Score—14d adds
- 22 Reborn, I Teach My Enemy’s Son to Kill His Own Father 重生后我教仇人儿子弑亲 Reborn, I Teach My Enemy’s Son to Kill His Own Parent —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 23 Don't Tell Him, I Still Miss Him 别告诉他，我还想他 Don't Tell Him I Still Miss Him 85Reads—Score—14d adds
- 24 Ashen Flesh 烬身 Body of Ashes 1Reads—Score—14d adds
- 25 The System That Trapped Me for Three Lifetimes: I Quit! 困我三世的系统，老娘不干了！ The System that trapped me for three lifetimes? I’m done with it! —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 26 After I Fell into the Demonic Abyss, My Master Slaughtered the Six Realms for Me 堕魔渊后师尊为我屠了六界 After I Fell into the Demonic Abyss, My Master Slaughtered the Six Realms for Me —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 27 At My Happiest, You Dealt Me a Crushing Blow 在最幸福时，给了我沉痛一击 My new work is here! Come read it on Tomato Novel. I hope you'll enjoy it. Your support inspires me to write, and I'll do my best to tell every story well! 1Reads—Score—14d adds
- 28 I Love You in the Ashes of Our Bloodline 在血脉的灰烬里爱你 Loving You Among the Ashes of Our Bloodline —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 29 Su Cixi 苏辞兮 Su Cixi 801Reads—Score—14d adds
- 30 The Sun Won’t Honor Its Old Promise 太阳不赴旧约 The Sun Won't Keep Its Old Promise 8Reads—Score—14d adds
- 31 From South City to North, Safe in His Heart 南城向北，安于心尖 [Sweet youth romance + tragic love + bittersweet ending] Whose youth isn't filled with confusion? Whose youth has no regrets? From the primordial chaos came yin and yang; hatred is love pushed to its extreme. These years have felt like a long journey through storms. I've drifted for half my life, going around in circles. I wish that every time, you could be by my side. They didn't get a good life together this time. If there's a next life, I hope they never meet. 7Reads—Score—14d adds
- 32 Mandarin Duck Eyes, Snow on Broken Bridge 鸳鸯眼，断桥雪 Mandarin Duck Eyes, Snow on the Broken Bridge 4Reads—Score—14d adds
- 33 Next Year’s Spring 来年的春 [Signed for publication] [Mutual salvation + sweet and angsty] An insecure, sensitive, well-behaved girl × a rebellious, roguishly handsome boy with a softer side Note: If you’re confused, check out the author’s other short story, Snow in the Eighth Year. When they first met, neither of them ever imagined that one day they would fall deeply in love. One day, she looked up and called to him, “Chen Yi.” He answered. There was a smile in Lin Shu’s eyes, though her expression was calm. She smiled 20Reads6.9Score314d adds
- 34 Infested 入蛊 “Why does my heart race uncontrollably whenever I see you?” “So that’s what it means to be bewitched by you.” “Bewitched, and loving you to the bone.” 630Reads8.5Score10214d adds
- 35 There Came a Day When We Never Met Again 后来我们再无相见之日 [Content warning: This story is mildly angsty, a bittersweet coming-of-age romance with a tragic ending. If you enjoy stories about the pain of youth, read on.] (Main story complete) Twenty-year-old Ye Yufan never imagined that at twenty-five, she would hate rainy days so much. Just as Jiang Lechi at twenty never imagined that, at twenty-five, Ye Yufan still wouldn’t have gotten over him. Jiang Lechi: “I’m sorry, Ye Yufan. I broke my promise. I’m the one who lied.” Li Shushu: “Yezi, take care of 44Reads—Score—14d adds
- 36 We Once Promised to Grow Old Together in Happiness 曾许清欢共白头 We Once Promised to Grow Old Together in Joy 990Reads—Score—14d adds
- 37 The Day Before My Wedding, the Real Heiress Imprisoned Me 婚礼前一天，我被真千金囚禁了 The Day Before My Wedding, the Real Heiress Imprisoned Me 1Reads—Score—14d adds
- 38 A Confession Hidden Away 告白难藏 [Redemption + healing + tragic ending + unrequited love + reunion after a long separation + lingering heartbreak + slice of life] A gloomy, aloof girl x a brash, sunny boy They first met when Chi Zhiyu mistakenly thought she was about to kill herself and saved her. He said a lot of things. She wasn’t wearing her hearing aids then, so she couldn’t hear him. From Qing Yi’s perspective, that was their first meeting. The second time they met, she smelled smoke in the alley on her way to school. She 80Reads—Score—14d adds
- 39 Blue Eucalyptus 2 蓝桉2 My new work is out! You're welcome to read it on Tomato Novel. I hope you'll enjoy it. Your support is what motivates me to write, and I'll do my best to tell every story well! 1Reads—Score—14d adds
- 40 The Divine Official Refuses to Fall from His High Perch 神官他不肯掉下高台 The Divine Official Refuses to Fall from His High Perch 2Reads—Score—14d adds
- 41 No Roses in Midsummer 盛夏无玫瑰 [Troubled, obsessive boy × warm, healing ray of sunshine] Unrequited love × love at first sight × bittersweet school romance Roses are a byword for romance, the beginning of regret, and the end of a midsummer... Romance let the roses pierce the whole summer, allowing them to take root and bloom in the pain of her wounds. In the end, they secretly became the only thorns in the time machine of her life, letting every unfinished kiss grow into an epitaph here, bringing every regret to its close. “A 78Reads—Score—14d adds
- 42 Alley Number Seven 七号巷 Campus + BE + unrequited love Free-spirited, honest boy vs. well-behaved girl “May the free and honest sun never set. Someone will always take my place and keep loving you. Happy birthday, Jiang Si.” “She died on the day he turned eighteen. His coming-of-age day became her death anniversary.” “Jiang Si, don’t cry.” Beep The ECG line went flat. The room fell silent for a moment, then sobs swept through it. “I won’t cry anymore. Please, just look at me, okay?” The boy tried to hold back his sobs s 744Reads—Score19214d adds
- 43 I Designed Your Bride's Wedding Dress with My Own Hands 我亲手为你的新娘设计了婚纱 Cover image source: XHS, Snowy Day Originally titled “Out of Focus” A secret crush is one person out of focus; loving someone you can’t have is two people on parallel lines. When you appeared, the whole world went out of focus. The first time we met, I tripped in front of you. From then on, I’ve always stumbled right where you are. Jian Lushun, goodbye forever. 20Reads—Score—14d adds
- 44 Your Name Is Farther Away Than the Stars 你的名字比星星遥远 Angst! Angst! Angst! That's how important it is, so we're saying it three times! [Double top students × mutual salvation × tragic ending] A bright, fragile ray of sunshine suffering from a serious illness vs. a cold, merciless class monitor who can't feel pain “Xu Xingxia, you're crossing the line.” “Xu Xingxia, know your limits.” “Xu Xingxia, are you always like this?” “Xu Xingxia, Song Qichi is yours and yours alone.” “Xu Xingxia, without you, this life would be far too long...” Dying for 4kReads8.4Score85114d adds
- 45 The Last Snowfall in Zurich 苏黎世的最后一场雪 Lin Xigu once believed that staying by Wen Anning's side could dispel the gloom hanging over her and save her from depression. They promised to travel to many places together, letting the world's beauty soothe the scars deep in her soul, and letting the winds atop the snow-capped mountains bear witness to their long-overdue confession. But the storm of fate struck without warning. The last snowfall in Zurich took Wen Anning away and crushed all of Lin Xigu's hopes. Only when Lin Xigu found the 40Reads—Score—14d adds
- 46 I Made Myself a Boyfriend, and Somehow I Fell for Him Despite My Alexithymia 亲手造了个男友，患述情障碍的我竟动了心 I made myself a boyfriend, and somehow, despite my alexithymia, I fell for him. 4Reads—Score—14d adds
- 47 A Handful of Yellow Sand 一抔黄沙 Gu Zheng was born into a family of military officers. Clever and mischievous, she had a perfect family and a childhood sweetheart, Meng Huai. Her days were happy and carefree. But after both her parents died, a series of upheavals turned her life upside down, forcing her to change. She began to hide her true feelings and rely on herself, growing darker inside... It took Meng Huai a long time to bring back the innocent, lively, and mischievous girl she had been when they were young, but things ne 32Reads8.0Score—14d adds
- 48 Longing in the Lonely Night 此夜相思空寂寥 Legend has it that every princess of Chaolan is born with a heart of seven orifices, a heart that can bring the dead back to life and grant immortality… With the land in turmoil, Princess Shen Ruoqing of Chaolan marries into Nansang for the sake of her country and its people, becoming the crown prince of Nansang’s consort. She thought she could live out her final years in peace, but that was only wishful thinking. On the city wall, dressed in white fox fur, she gazed down at him. The warmth in h 159Reads8.0Score—14d adds
- 49 My Parents Hypnotized Me Five Times to Make My Depressed Sister Laugh. After I Died, They Went Mad with Regret 爸妈为逗抑郁症姐姐笑催眠我五次,我死后他们悔疯了 My parents hypnotized me five times to make my sister, who suffered from depression, laugh. After I died, they were consumed by regret. 1.3kReads—Score10414d adds
- 50 He Came Back Before the Wind Stopped 风停之前，他回来了 Seventeen years ago, Zhou Yubai left Lin Wan when he loved her most. He said, “Lin Wan, I don’t want you anymore.” Seventeen years later, Lin Wan is in charge of an urban renewal project in the old district. She personally signs the demolition order for Building Seventeen. It was their secret hideaway when they were seventeen. And the place where they last saw each other. On the day they reunite, Zhou Yubai returns as a documentary filmmaker to capture the old district’s final night. She h 11Reads—Score—14d adds
