Novels like When I Looked Back, He Had Never Gone Far
Books Chinese readers most often put in the same booklists as When I Looked Back, He Had Never Gone Far, best match first.
- 1 The World, You, and I Are All in Love 世界与你我都爱 On the first day of high school, she runs into her old elementary school deskmate, whom she hasn’t seen in three years. Was it a coincidence, or was it planned? When Chen Liyan bravely steps in to save Zhou Xiaoyu, a different kind of feeling stirs in her heart. Is this what falling for someone feels like? Just after they confirm their feelings for each other, the male lead has to leave town to attend high school. Thankfully, true love always finds a way. This is a sweet romance from start to fi —Reads—Score—Shelves
- 2 The Last Season of Lingering Summer 最后一季残夏 [Youthful Campus Romance + Short Story Collection] The final stretch of summer feels just like this unrequited love: the most heartbreaking thing happens in the hottest season. All it took was a single, "I feel like I've seen you somewhere before," for him to brush her off. In this brief youth, it's enough that she loved someone so passionately. Summer has passed, and she thinks that for the rest of her life, like late autumn, she'll shed her longing for him like falling leaves. 2Reads8.3Score—Shelves
- 3 The Afterglow of the Sunset 落日的余霞 “Li Xingran, do you know what the language of osmanthus flowers is?” “The language of osmanthus flowers? Diligence and harvest?” “I’m not telling you, you silly melon.” A story dedicated to youth, memories, and the future. Orphaned at a young age, Li Xingran lives with his maternal grandfather. The difficulties he faces from his uncles leave him growing up in a cold and lonely world. The only person who ever brightens his life is his kind grandfather. Then, while the two of them are living toge 1Reads—Score—Shelves
- 4 Sinking Pond 1 沉塘1 Mom hopes all your unhappiness will blow away with the wind. If only people could be happy without having to work for it. The light Chen San thought she had found amid all her hardship ultimately couldn't stay by her side for the rest of her life. “I think meeting you was the happiest thing that happened to me in ninth grade.” Those bound to the past for a lifetime can only sketch out a faded future over and over again in their memories. 1Reads—Score—Shelves
- 5 Falling into Light and Shadow 光影陷落 [School Life | Two Top Students | Healing | Mutual Pining] [One-on-One Romance | Both Pure | Sweet Romance] [Chuunibyou Girl & Sharp-Tongued Top Student] During military training, Yuan Ziyu, known as a “crack shot,” became the dream guy of countless girls thanks to his striking looks and top grades. That is, until he pulled a cheeky stunt by stuffing love letters into the teacher’s desk, then pulling another by taking anyone who confessed to him straight outside the director’s office. But there 19Reads—Score—Shelves
- 6 My Unrequited Love, Page 102 我的暗恋102页 At sixteen, what do you imagine your life will be like in the future? Chu Yunxi thought she'd get into a dance academy and give her hard-working self the perfect send-off with excellent grades. She thought she'd finally shout out the secret love she'd never confessed at the graduation party... But regret is the very color of youth. After a car accident while saving someone, she lost her chance to dance. Then she missed her college entrance exams while trying to save Duan Yuze's mother from domes 5Reads—Score—Shelves
- 7 We Who Were Chosen by Crime 被罪案选中的我们 [Two generations + multiple couples + ensemble cast and growth + happy ending] After her grandmother fell ill, Song Zhiqin, who had never seen her mother since birth, boarded a long-distance bus to find her for the first time. The gloomy, cold woman standing before her was nothing like the bright, sunny woman smiling in the yellowed old photograph. The prodigy her grandmother had praised, a genius doctor renowned at Rende Hospital, broke down and sobbed in a frenzy beside the hospital bed. She s 1Reads—Score—Shelves
- 8 In the Lush Green of Midsummer 在绿意盎然的盛夏 On the day of their high school graduation, the weather was sunny and clear, without a cloud in the sky. He Rangchen still looked as neat and fresh as ever, leaning against the doorframe of Class Two, Senior Year. Backlit by the sun, he tilted his head and smiled at her. “Mo Ciying, do you like me?” It was the summer that struck fear into the hearts of countless high school seniors: cicadas buzzed noisily, and the greenery flourished. 5Reads—Score—Shelves
- 9 The Summer We Couldn't Hide Our Secret Crush 那年夏天，藏不住的暗恋 Martial arts prodigy girl VS frail top student boy Growing together + multiple couples + extra sweet On her first day transferring schools in her second year of high school, Qiao Zhiyue bravely stepped in to save a delicate-looking, handsome boy. Later, she was amazed to discover they were in the same class, and the teacher even assigned her the seat beside him. She found herself glancing at the boy beside her. His eyes were naturally closed, his eyelashes casting a shadow beneath them. His 16Reads—Score—Shelves
- 10 A Flutter Hidden in the Breeze 微风藏悸动 [Complete] [A reserved girl who grows wild and strong × a dazzling, confident young man] Qiao Xixi: grows toward the sun, wild and strong → renowned photographer Tan Yu: dazzling, born exceptional → CEO of Xiyi Group **Blurb (1) The orange glow of sunset spreads across the sky, filled with bright light. Daisies cover the hillsides. No matter how beautiful and resilient they are, they’re still only wildflowers growing in the mountains. And you, Tan Yu, are dazzling beyond compare. I don’t know i 8Reads8.0Score—Shelves
- 11 Who Touched My Strings? 谁动了我的琴弦 [Republican-era romance + class divide + tragic separation] A proud, roguish young master × a cool, reserved pipa player. Their deep love began in a time of chaos, but ended in a lifetime of heartbreak. Chen Huaixi played the pipa in a teahouse to make ends meet. There she met Jiang Zhuyun, the young master of the Jiang family, who had just returned from overseas. Drawn to her cool demeanor and talent, he gradually pursued her, his teasing turning into genuine affection. But their families were 1Reads—Score—Shelves
- 12 Put Down the Candy and Kiss Me First 放下糖，先吻我 Childhood sweethearts with an arranged marriage + yandere + wealthy family + awakened female lead + mutual healing at school [Cool, aloof, top-student beauty with a yandere streak * self-conscious, sincere, refined, loyal puppy] Jiang Qi'an dreams that she's the heroine of a male-oriented novel, and the hero is Xie Linqiu, the boy she's been promised to since childhood. But she goes from being the heroine to a marginal character, while the supporting female character gradually takes center stage 49Reads8.0Score—Shelves
- 13 Reborn in a Novel: The Supporting Actress Strikes Back 小说重生：女配逆袭 The rating is low because it just opened, and there aren't many ratings yet T﹏T [School life + transmigrate into a book + top student + comedy + lighthearted + sweet romance + happy ending] One second, I'm dreaming about the heroine's life in a novel; the next, I'm hit by a car and transmigrate into the book. But why did I have to end up as a wicked supporting character? Then one day, I suddenly realize the plot has changed. Why has the male lead, who likes the heroine, suddenly become so clingy 80Reads8.1Score—Shelves
- 14 While We're Young, Let's Trick Them into Coming Home 趁着年少骗回家吧 While we’re still young and naive, I can’t let someone else get to you first. But you seem to carry so many scars. Since we’ve met, let me be the one to protect you from now on. I couldn’t be with you for the first eighteen years, but I’ll be here for all the years to come. 4Reads—Score—Shelves
- 15 My Sunshine School Beauty 我的暖阳校花 —Reads—Score—Shelves
- 16 A Summer When the Stars Shine 群星闪耀的夏天 [Youthful campus life] [Two top students] [Ensemble cast] A passionate, haughty, slightly vain heroine x a gentle, slightly sharp-tongued hero who never overthinks Xia Qianxing x Shen Sinan The high school where I met you was a summer when the stars shone bright. Years from now, many memories may slowly blur, but none of us will forget the hot summer breeze, the cicadas singing outside the window, the sound of pen on paper, and the carefree smiles on one another's faces. 1Reads—Score—Shelves
- 17 Miss Tang’s Magical Adventures Miss唐的神奇魔法 After a nap, she woke up back in ninth grade. Unlucky college student Tang Xin realized in horror: was this a nightmare on repeat? Tang Xin was an utterly ordinary college student with a seemingly endless streak of bad luck. She only wanted to get a good night’s sleep, but suddenly transmigrated back to ninth grade! Staring at the familiar yet strange classroom, she screamed SOS in despair: “This isn’t a dream. It’s a real-life nightmare!” But the path she set foot on again had quietly changed 1Reads—Score—Shelves
- 18 Across the Summer 越夏 [Clear-headed, independent, strong heroine × proud, unruly, sharp-tongued hero] [Redemption × clear-headedness × from school to city life] Li Shu is a cool-hearted person. She doesn’t know how to love, and she’s never felt loved! With less than three months until the college entrance exams, all Li Shu has to do is make it through that summer. Then she can leave Nancheng and see the sun break through the rain and fog. One fine afternoon, Li Shu gave false testimony. She only meant to keep herself 16Reads—Score—Shelves
- 19 After My Family Went Bankrupt, My Youth Turned into a Funeral Pyre 我家破产后，我的青春火葬场了 After My Family Went Bankrupt, My Youth Became a Funeral Pyre 4Reads—Score—Shelves
- 20 A Promise Beneath the Stars 星辰之下的诺言 “Your face is bare of makeup, yet I’ve fallen madly in love.” A summer romance and a winter romance, a love that takes both smooth and rocky roads, and promises made beneath the stars at night. Su Chen is an ordinary high school boy with slightly above-average looks. He likes to joke around, is polite, and usually ranks somewhere in the middle of his class. He meets Lin Meng, a strikingly beautiful girl, at the school sports meet. With her glamorous appearance and fair skin, Lin Meng is the go —Reads—Score—Shelves
- 21 A Bite of Fish Cake 咬一口鱼饼 [Childhood friends / School life / Sweet romance / Secret crush / Mutual devotion / Flirting both ways] [A poker-faced softie and a lively, outgoing flirt, both top students] [Tech company CEO × Jewelry designer] On the first day of high school, that familiar face appeared before her once more. Could it really be him? The name was the same, and she froze. When that familiar little mirror appeared before him, Lu Qingyan knew for sure: it was her best friend from childhood. Her best friend, Chen Y 14Reads—Score—Shelves
- 22 The Breeze on No. 14 Zhangjiang Road 樟江路十四号的风 Childhood sweethearts + second-chance romance + youth + happy ending + sweet The wind on Zhangjiang Road No. 14 once scattered the memories of Meng Xing and Qi Fan’s youth. The year they graduated from middle school, Meng Xing heard that he had thrown away her yearbook. She never went to ask him what he had been thinking, though she did not know why. Misunderstanding wound around her heart like a vine, and in a fit of pique she cut off contact. Even though they spent all three years of high sc 2Reads—Score—Shelves
- 23 After Getting Played, I Met My True Love 被钓后，我遇上了真命天女 [Single Heroine] + [True Love] + [No System] + [Relaxed Everyday Life] + [Sweet Romance, No Angst] + [Youthful Campus Romance] One lovestruck fool is going to lose badly. What about two? Happy puppy x sweet, adorably clueless girl "She's different from everyone else!" "Bai Rui? He's just looking to have some fun." After hearing what she really thought, the happy puppy drooped his ears. Then Lin Shiyao entered his life, like a beam of light shining into his heart. "Lin Shiyao, I've always 1Reads—Score—Shelves
- 24 Sugar-Frosted Stars Beneath the Badge 警徽下的糖霜星 Some waits are not born of obsession, but certainty. Some loves cross the darkness and still reach for the light. Xiaoman had been certain of Chen Zhou since she was a girl. He was her starlight, her courage, and every secret she tucked away in cakes and starry skies. But he bore a mission and had no choice but to conceal his identity and venture into danger. She waited for him in the light, tending a little shop and holding fast to her original dream. Her parents' concern, her older brother Li 3Reads—Score—Shelves
- 25 Painting His Likeness 绘出他的模样 [Campus Light Fantasy | Mutual Secret Crush (?) | Ensemble Cast | Beloved Little Sunshine | Lighthearted Comedy | Zero-Dimensional | Dual Personality] Everyone ships Rong Hui and Su Qingye, and the rumor has spread far and wide. No matter how her friends tease and try to set them up, Rong Hui always brushes it off and clarifies: I’ve never liked Su Qingye! No one knows that Su Qingye is hiding a second personality, A Qing. A Qing was born from Rong Hui’s childhood imagination. He broke throu —Reads—Score—Shelves
- 26 Reborn: By Your Side for a Lifetime 重生：伴你一生 I met the best version of you when we were young and naive. As I grew up, I slowly let you go. Do I regret it? More than anything! Rather than say I was too young to understand, I’d say that was simply the price of growing up. After wasting half a lifetime, I still can’t forget. If you had the chance to return to those innocent days, would you be willing to go back and start over? I think I would. Ding: At the Host’s urgent request, returning to 2007. Please prepare. Countdown: 3 seconds! Wait.. —Reads—Score—Shelves
- 27 I Wish to Ride the Long Winds and Break Through Ten Thousand Miles 愿乘长风破万里 Take a trip back to the non-mainstream youth era of the post-90s generation Anyone who hurts my family will pay for it, one by one. In this high school that’s a paradise for underachievers, watch me cut through every obstacle and ride the wind across ten thousand miles of waves! No cheap tricks, just real youth. The road to adulthood for Xiao Mo is marked by every stamp of adolescence: confusion about the future, regret over mistakes, passion in love that cannot be hidden and pain that cannot be —Reads—Score—Shelves
- 28 The Ninth Autumn 第九个秋 [Innocent and carefree Mi Yicheng vs. taciturn Shen Jingjun] Everyone talks about meeting again in the next life, but he is a firm materialist. Love may bring partings and reunions, but there is no next life. On a rainy autumn day, Mi Yicheng waits beneath her office building for the rain to stop. As she gazes at the curtain of rain before her, an image of Shen Jingjun comes to mind. The dashing young man in a dark blue jacket stands across the road, smiling at her. He waves, the corners of hi 88Reads—Score—Shelves
- 29 This Time, Let Me Be the One to Love You 这次，换我喜欢你吧 [Campus romance + older woman/younger man + waking from a coma and a dream + heroine pursues hero + both leads are inexperienced in love + long-planned romance] Maybe the meaning of two people choosing each other is simply: What a coincidence, I like you too. Su Lingyu was injured while saving her younger brother, Su Huaiyi, and remained unconscious for over a month. In her dream, she met a younger boy named Jiang Shiyan. Jiang Shiyan saw the girl again at his cousin’s junior high graduation par 5Reads—Score—Shelves
- 30 They’re All Awful, but I’m Going to Be Just Fine 他们都很坏，我要好好的 After my mother died, I felt a kinship with the son of my father’s mistress. Because of our scumbag dad, who made a living by cheating women out of their money and affection, we became orphans while we were still little. How will we face such misfortune in a complicated world? What kind of people will we become? [A story for those of us who keep striving, for youth, and for love, friendship, and ambition. Two people find redemption in each other and learn to live toward the light.] The best r 2Reads—Score—Shelves
- 31 He Must Have Found His Way Into Happiness 他定是，投入了幸福怀抱 He must have thrown himself into the arms of happiness. 8Reads—Score—Shelves
- 32 The Possessive School Bully Is Wild and Irresistible 偏执校霸，野又撩 [Soft, innocent little kitten VS obsessive, unhinged school bully VS Rekindled Romance VS Reunion VS Sweet Romance VS Healing] He said, “Kid, don’t think you can hit on me.” But when he saw the young man in her painting, he went mad. He pinned her against the wall and kissed her, the cigarette smoke still in his mouth. He sneered: “Shi Qi, I fucking want to destroy you.” “Shi Qi, you’re not allowed to like anyone else. I won’t let you.” His husky voice was utterly bewitching, and his warm breath 182Reads6.8Score—Shelves
- 33 When the Wind Meets a Boy in His Prime 风遇少年正当时 [Ensemble School Story | Inspiring Coming-of-Age | Passionate Youth | No Romance] Summer winds sweep across campus, stirring the hems of the students’ clothes and carrying their burning dreams toward distant horizons. In the classroom, pens race across pages, each stroke a testament to their determination to fight for their dreams. On the field, they run free, embracing the unique fervor of youth. Classmates stand by one another, offering support as they overcome confusion and hardship together 2Reads—Score—Shelves
- 34 Seventeen Years of Secretly Cherishing My Childhood Friend 竹马藏娇十七年 His childhood sweetheart had been kept a secret for seventeen years 1Reads—Score—Shelves
- 35 A Secret Crush in Youth Is Like a Green Plum 青春暗恋就像一颗青梅果 A youthful secret crush is like a tart green plum. 1Reads—Score—Shelves
- 36 The Cure for a Secret Crush 暗恋解药 Though those four words are hard to say, everything I do says, “I like you.” A campus romance about mutual secret crushes, told from both perspectives. Two people scarred by their families of origin save each other. —Reads—Score—Shelves
- 37 Good Girl, Don't Run: The Cool Heartthrob's Precious Darling! 乖乖女别跑，清冷男神他心尖宠！ [Campus romance + secret crush + sweet romance + happy ending + devoted couple + two top students] [Gentle, sensitive, well-behaved top student heroine x aloof, free-spirited genius heartthrob] [The leads fall in love over time + the second male lead gets left heartbroken] On the day of the teachers' appreciation banquet, Tong Xu received an invitation from the person she had a crush on. At the time, she was being pinned against a wall and kissed passionately by a man. "What, afraid to tell him 32Reads—Score—Shelves
- 38 Those Green Days of Youth 那些青葱时光 In the early 1990s, Su Jing started college. Coming from a poor family, she resolved to study hard and make something of herself through her own abilities. The rich girls seemed to live in a constant romantic drama, while the poor girls, hoping to find jobs after graduation, were all eager to land themselves a wealthy husband. Su Jing was exceptional in every way, but she thought differently. Though she could have relied on her looks, she was determined to make her way through hard work. Not lo 7Reads—Score—Shelves
- 39 Love in Sofia 爱在索菲亚 Later, when she looked back, she remembered that sunny afternoon in early winter when she first saw Zhou You. One fleeting glance took her breath away, though she had no idea that every story began right there. 2Reads—Score—Shelves
- 40 A Season of Pure Sweetness with You 遇见你的全糖季节 Start with Volume 1: Sweet campus romance, secret crushes, and boys competing for love Her childhood friend leaves, and Lin Yi gets bullied as a result. She has no choice but to transfer schools with her mother to Helheim. There, Lin Yi meets a group of friends and two boys who secretly have feelings for her. Start with Volume 2: Reunion after a long separation, an open confession of love, and boys competing for love 7Reads—Score—Shelves
- 41 My Youth Is a Little Chilling 我的青春有点冻人 Handsome, quick-witted Lin Yunyi's body goes on “strike.” He rides a wheelchair and launches rockets, chases the school belle, and forces the campus heartthrob to dress as a girl! His best friend Zhao Peng carries him, the school belle Mengyao warms his heart, and the Icebound Squad rocks the campus with laughter. Youth never freezes, and living with a smile is the ultimate secret! (The alien Lin Yunyi has returned home; the mechanical arm is on standby.) 2Reads—Score—Shelves
- 42 After We Reunite, He Coaxes Me Softly Every Night 重逢后，他夜夜低声诱哄 [Reunion after years apart + mutual secret crushes + scheming + sweet romance] [Soft, adorable bunny Zhu Xue × sly gray wolf Lin Yue] [No villains, only sweetness, and it gets even sweeter later! You won't regret giving this a try!] At a bar, Zhu Xue gets drunk after one glass, and Lin Yue takes her home. At a restaurant, their parents start a romance in their twilight years, and their children meet. Zhu Xue discovers that the other person is Lin Yue, the one she's secretly loved for years. In t 53Reads8.8Score—Shelves
- 43 A Six-Yuan Story 六块钱的故事 [Laid-Back Slice of Life] + [Campus Romance] + [Sweet Love Story] + [One Heroine] Gu Ze felt something special the first time he noticed Su Xinhe. Their story began with exchanging names, and they got together over six yuan. On the school rooftop, Gu Ze secretly took Su Xinhe’s hand and whispered in her ear, “Su Xinhe, I really like you.” She smiled bashfully, her cheeks turning faintly red, then replied in an even softer voice, “I like you too.” The area around them buzzed with people, but at t 5Reads—Score—Shelves
- 44 The Fox Spirit Is Flirtatious and Seductive 狐狸精他又撩又骚 All sweetness, no angst. So sugary you’ll be sick, and then we’ll pile on even more. No reunion after a long separation, no misunderstandings, no conflict. The male lead has plenty of energy and plenty of ways to get what he wants. [Slow-to-warm, reserved porcelain doll VS. charming, flirtatious fox] [First Love for Both × Love at First Sight × Open Affection That’s Hard to Resist × Straight-Shooting Ace] After transferring schools, she finds herself in an awkward relationship with her unreliabl 673Reads8.7Score104Shelves
- 45 Back to High School to Woo the School Bully 重回高中撩校霸 [Campus life + sweet romance + reborn + mind-reading] Su Le discovered she had returned to her high school days, with no golden finger and no System. She wanted to work hard and get ahead, but she wasn’t very bright. So she started a husband-raising plan. She persuaded the school bully to break up, study, start a company, and make money, while she slacked off at every opportunity. Under her constant persuasion, the school bully turned into a top student. At last, her husband became a big shot. H 474Reads8.7Score—Shelves
- 46 Sweet Beginnings in Midsummer 盛夏有棠 After a devastating family crisis, former good girl Xue Xiaotang tears up her sweet-and-innocent persona and moves to the very back row of the classroom. She takes a laid-back approach to studying, only to unexpectedly find a group of passionate, loyal friends among the so-called bad students. Suddenly, her youth is more lively than ever. An accident sends her crashing into the world of Qi Shengyu, a scheming college student who knows how to put on an act. A sunny upperclassman in public, he's a 4Reads—Score—Shelves
- 47 A Perfect Star-Crossed Romance 满分星恋 Who gets it? I signed a dating experiment agreement with the most rational top student in school, and I’m the one who fell for him first? Lin Xiaoman admits that agreeing to work with Lu Xinghan for material for a script was just a spur-of-the-moment decision. After all, this top student could explain hugs with physics equations, analyze smiles using data models, and even wrap his concern for others in the language of “optimal solutions.” But who could have guessed that as they kept pretending t 10Reads—Score—Shelves
- 48 The Scheming Bunny in Disguise Woos the Campus Bad Boy 腹黑女装小白兔，甜撩校园拽王 [Flirty romance + sweet love + mutual secret crushes + mutual devotion] [Swaggering, flirtatious celebrity heir × sweet, scheming top student] ♥ She failed the college entrance exam. Su Yingtao, the sweet girl who ranked first in the whole school, didn’t cry or make a fuss. She went to the beach alone. Everyone thought she was going to jump into the sea. But Su Yingtao just smiled slyly. She had failed on purpose, all to win herself a year of freedom. Feng Xinghai, the legendary bad boy who coul 3Reads—Score—Shelves
- 49 White Pear Blossoms, Green Olives 梨花白，橄榄青 People dream of coming top in the imperial examinations and seeing true lovers end up together. But in this world, a poor scholar can work himself to the bone and still fail the exams, while lovers can be torn apart and go their separate ways! Behind the hills, pear blossoms are as white as snow! The school building has the same style as something from a romance drama. A touch of pale purple set against the white pear blossoms makes for a scene of utter romance. Inside the building is a group of 11Reads—Score—Shelves
- 50 Kisses Through the Seasons 吻四季 [Underdog comeback + unrequited love + 1v3 + healing + reunion after years apart] ‹One-line synopsis: Secretly loved by three men, and a secret that must be told.› The serious synopsis: Meeting Qi Feng and Gu Shixi was the misfortune Li Wen had earned in her previous life. She must have done terrible things back then, because now the two of them had come to torment her. When she was most in love with Qi Feng, Gu Shixi forcefully kissed her right in front of him. When she loved Gu Shixi most, 15Reads—Score—Shelves
