Novels like Imprisoned in the Eastern Palace: My Darkened Childhood Friend Is Unhinged
Books Chinese readers most often put in the same booklists as Imprisoned in the Eastern Palace: My Darkened Childhood Friend Is Unhinged, best match first.
- 1 Chi Chenjin 迟尘烬 Top (Pei Jingchen, a jianghu assassin): ruthless and hard-hearted, sharp-tongued and blind to others’ feelings. Bottom (Shen Chixi, a eunuch): seemingly aloof, stoic, and perceptive, with little desire to live. No clean romance, irregular updates, average writing, and the author’s brain isn’t much bigger. Suggestions welcome. A fictional dynasty, mostly everyday life, with 40% angst and a bad ending. An assassin is ordered to kill a powerful eunuch, only to reunite with someone from his past. On —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 2 The Suit-Clad Thug Knocks at Night, and the Sweet Beauty Can't Escape 西装暴徒夜敲门,娇软尤物逃不掉 [Male-male leads + older man/younger man + twisted obsession + absolute control + angsty melodrama + coercion + love triangle + redemption arc + mutual first loves + happy ending] Lu Shenqian was the person Lin Guguang feared most. After finally escaping Lu Shenqian’s absolute control, Lin Guguang got a new boyfriend. One day, his ex and his current boyfriend suddenly sat down for coffee together. Lin Guguang rushed over. Lu Shenqian looked at him. “You’re in such a panic. Do you think too littl 171Reads9.3Score—14d adds
- 3 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
- 4 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
- 5 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
- 6 The Worthy Minister Never Returns 良臣不归 A Worthy Minister Never Returns 38Reads—Score—14d adds
- 7 Your Fox Across Past and Present Lives 前世今生你的狐 (Two male leads + angst + tragic ending + unforgettable heartbreak. I was crying as I wrote this T﹏T. This is my first story, so please share your thoughts!) What is the pain of longing? It is nothing but a thousand years of devoted love. Parted in their past lives, they meet again a thousand years later. Reborn, Qing Mojiao walks all the way from Nanyue to Beiping. After five years, he finally finds his king, only to be repeatedly deceived by the one he loves and humiliated like a plaything. On 16Reads—Score—14d adds
- 8 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
- 9 Tell a Little Lie 撒个谎吧 Obsessive forced love | Rekindled romance | Husband desperately tries to win her back | Heart and body tormented “I'm keeping you around just to get revenge on you!” Chu Yu says. “I'm staying only to repay my debt!” Yue Xingshu says. “Chu Yu, Yue Xingcan isn't dead.” “Yue Xingshu, your brother isn't dead.” He's alive. So will Chu Yu keep taking revenge? He's alive. So will Yue Xingshu keep repaying her debt? There's no need anymore. There's no need anymore. Then let's part ways… “Yue Xingshu! Wa 387Reads8.4Score—14d adds
- 10 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
- 11 Caged in Gold, the Deposed Emperor Becomes a Slave 缚金笼,废帝为奴 My new story is out! You can read it on Tomato Novel. I hope you’ll enjoy it. Your support motivates me to write, and I’ll do my best to tell every story well! 3.4kReads8.7Score34814d adds
- 12 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
- 13 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
- 14 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
- 15 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
- 16 Your Grace Is a Prison 君恩如狱 Sorry the rating is a little low right after it came out 🥰 Forced love | Taking by force | Emperor gong | Gentle general gong | Strategist shou | Deeply angsty romance | Physical and emotional trauma | Rekindled romance | Ancient political intrigue | Extreme push and pull | Three male leads | All for the shou | Beautiful, strong, and tragic To save his mother, the once brilliant top scholar was branded a traitor for colluding with the enemy and personally reduced by the emperor to a plaything fo 3.2kReads8.6Score24314d adds
- 17 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
- 18 Forbidden Love in the Marquis's Household 侯府孽情 Lord Liu Chenyuan has taken a fourth wife into the Liu estate. Pity the principal wife, running herself ragged with all the household work while the lord hasn’t looked at him in ages. In the eyes of the servants at the Marquis of Liu’s residence, the new Fourth Lady seems to have claimed all of the lord’s affection. The servants can’t help wondering, “How is Madam doing now?” Han Fengyou is always so calm and gentle, helping others prepare for their weddings as he watches his husband take a new 1kReads6.1Score14514d adds
- 19 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
- 20 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
- 21 The Male Lead Gets Knifed Every Day 男主每天都在挨刀子 An accident sent Gu Yu plummeting from the heights of a prominent wealthy family into the depths of poverty! After enduring abuse at the hands of his adoptive parents and going through countless hardships to return to his birth family, he was ambushed by the family’s adopted son! His family was cold and uncaring. His parents showed him no affection, his classmates shunned him, and online users hurled insults at him. Even the marriage that was supposed to unite two wealthy families was stolen by 271Reads—Score—14d adds
- 22 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
- 23 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
- 24 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
- 25 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
- 26 Entrusted to the Wind 寄于风 Little sunshine Huai Zhi (bottom) and the human icebox Yan Zhuo (top) Huai Zhi and Yan Zhuo grew up together and were the pride of their generation, always taking first and second place in their grade. Huai Zhi was mischievous and always getting into trouble as a child, but he listened especially well to Yan Zhuo and was afraid of making him angry. Huai Zhi: “Mad again? Better cheer you up.” _ Huai Zhi: I'm sorry, don't be mad. When the wind blows, I'll be there to coax you. Many years later, 185Reads8.0Score10814d adds
- 27 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
- 28 The Prince Is a Slave, General, Please Let Him Go 皇子为奴,将军求你放过 A tragic story with nonstop angst. Don’t read if you don’t like that. [Two male leads + tragedy + revenge + redemption + treasure hunt] Driven by the hatred of his clan’s destruction, Yuwen Yao returned covered in blood and dragged into hell the person he had protected in his youth. The carefree prince Xiao Chengyu was used and kept at arm’s length by his father, and had borne the infamy of bringing ruin to the kingdom for years. Imprisoned by the secrets of his royal bloodline and the Yelan cla 478Reads—Score—14d adds
- 29 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
- 30 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
- 31 Two Branches 两枝桠头 [Two male leads + salvation + tragic romance + tragic ending] Before meeting Li Chu, Jiang Ge planned to live until he was twenty, then end his own life. They were each other's only reason to keep living. From a narrow crack, they fought desperately to catch a glimpse of the light. But just as their lives were getting back on track, the arrival of their adoptive father shattered their fragile peace. The night Jiang Ge was struck in a vital spot, he whispered in Li Chu's right ear, “Chuchu, I 149Reads8.0Score10014d adds
- 32 After I Left, the Prince Was Beside Himself with Grief 我走后,王爷痛不欲生 [The comic adaptation of this novel is now available on Kuaikan] Bai Luo is always called an idiot by everyone. He isn’t stupid or foolish. He just loves that person so much that he would give up everything for him. He would even tear out his own heart and place it before him. In return, all he gets is the most merciless contempt. “Do you think you’re worthy?” - “If you hate me so much, why keep me by your side?” In the darkness, the man looks down at him. “You’re nothing but a plaything to amus 1.3kReads7.1Score13914d adds
- 33 Captive Phoenix in His Arms: The Ruthless Emperor's Prisoner 俘凰入罗帷,狠戾帝君掌心囚 When the Cangxuan Kingdom fell, its legitimate eldest princess, once revered and surrounded by every luxury, was cast from her heavenly heights into the deepest hell. Chu Yan had once been held hostage in Cangxuan. When he was being humiliated, the kingdom’s eldest princess, Fan Hua, came to his rescue. They grew up together and fell in love, but a conspiracy made Chu Yan hate the entire Cangxuan royal family. After years of plotting, he destroyed her kingdom, trampled on her dignity, and forced 273Reads6.3Score—14d adds
- 34 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
- 35 A Life Offered in Sacrifice 以身唯祭 Severe physical torment | Severe heartbreak | Possessive love | Happy ending | A love born of hatred | He’ll regret losing him | One-on-one | True love | Love rekindled after heartbreak | Political scheming and misunderstandings | Both leads are each other’s first Only then did Xiao Jingyan finally understand: he had taught Jing Heng the art of war, but Jing Heng had learned how to offer himself as a sacrifice for love. Xiao Jingyan had once believed that Jing Heng’s betrayal was the greatest sh 7.7kReads8.5Score74714d adds
- 36 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
- 37 Hello, My Love 你好,我的爱 The Place He Returns To: Sequel (Part Two) If you can’t handle an unresolved ending, don’t read this! Don’t read this! Don’t read this! It’ll turn your whole worldview upside down! This is meant to have a happy ending, though a few parts feel forced. The protagonist is a hopeless romantic. If you can’t accept that, stay away! Thank you for reading! Song Qing never left, but he said it was all just a competition. What is he hiding? I refuse to believe it. I search desperately. Will things ultimat 8Reads8.0Score—14d adds
- 38 Prejudice and Love 偏见与宠爱 Prejudice and Devotion —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 39 Still Waters, Cold as Death 死水薄凉 [Scumbag Top x World-Weary Bottom] [Mad Dog x Mad Dog] [Forced Love] [Tragedy] The world had never been so dull. It all began when Xu Yanzhi picked up the countdown. Xu Yanzhi, a rich second-generation layabout who did nothing but coast through life and wait to die, encountered Li Yan after he returned to the country ten years later. Forced to tear open his wounds, Xu Yanzhi gradually let his true nature show. I’m done pretending. I actually hate this world. I set fires, hurt people, and framed 754Reads8.7Score11014d adds
- 40 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
- 41 The Movie Star's Cat Is Missing 影帝的猫丢了 [Dual Male Leads, Mortal Enemies, Entertainment Industry, Secret Crush] Third-rate actor Xu Jingjiu unexpectedly turns into the cat of his mortal enemy, movie emperor Yan Qiaozhou, and is taken home by him. On the first day, Xu Jingjiu is sent to the pet hospital by his enemy and almost gets neutered. On the second day, his enemy gives him a little female cat. On the third day, Xu Jingjiu catches his enemy badmouthing him on Weibo. On the fourth day, Xu Jingjiu unexpectedly discovers that his en 31Reads8.5Score—14d adds
- 42 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
- 43 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
- 44 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
- 45 Locked in Love, Broken by Sorrow 锁爱成殇 He was his master’s loyal shadow, a blade that could be discarded at any moment. Cheng Mu, Shen Yi’s personal bodyguard, was exceptionally skilled, reserved, and taciturn. He had no name, no family, and no regrets. He had only one conviction: protect his master, even if it cost him his life. Shen Yi was a noble young master, high above the rest, handsome and cold, with everything under his control. He had countless favored companions at his beck and call, yet he always treated Cheng Mu as if he 1.2kReads8.7Score—14d adds
- 46 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
- 47 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
- 48 After Being Forced into Love by a Madman 被疯子强制爱后 Probably best not to read this one early on [forced love + two male leads + benefactor + bad ending + amnesia] Heaven relentlessly beats me down, so I bow my head and go along with it. There’s no way out. There’s no escape. Mo Yeqin didn’t understand love, so he worked hard to learn what it meant. It wasn’t until the day Xie Cheng died that he finally understood. Love means respect, understanding, acceptance, and wanting the other person to be happy. 527Reads8.0Score10014d adds
- 49 Forever Lost in the Dark River 永坠暗河 [Two male leads + bittersweet angst + reunion after years apart + pure love + love and hate intertwined + BE] I brought you home. I gave you your life and chose your name, so you'll belong to me for the rest of your life. We were two maggots in a heap of rotten mud. We should have rotted together in the mire of the dark river, locked in an endless struggle. But I love you... 461Reads8.1Score—14d adds
- 50 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

















































