Novels like Waiting for Love
Books Chinese readers most often put in the same booklists as Waiting for Love, best match first.
- 1 A Secret Crush Comes True: Cherished in His Hands 暗恋成真之捧在手心 [Unrequited Love from the Heroine + Sweet Romance + Mutual Devotion + Both Pure + Military Family + Strong Hero and Heroine] At an unexpected blind date, Wen Qingqing ran into Xiao Xuchen, the boy she had secretly loved back in school. They had been classmates, but Xiao Xuchen didn’t recognize her when they met for the blind date. At the date, Xiao Xuchen suggested they go register their marriage. After thinking it over, Wen Qingqing agreed, and the two embarked on a marriage that got straigh 139Reads6.5Score—14d adds
- 2 I Saw My First Love While Watching a Group Livestream 刷团播看见我初恋 (Rekindled love + reunion after a long separation + flashbacks + first loves and both chaste + mutual secret crushes + livestreaming + the one who got away; dual campus and workplace storylines) [An ordinary-looking but kind and strong-willed chubby girl × an aloof, distant campus heartthrob] Tao Sijun was a chubby top student with a big appetite and a strong work ethic. At the drama academy, full of beautiful girls, she met Li Yu'an, whose striking presence would define her youth, and gradually 1Reads—Score—14d adds
- 3 The Summer Breeze Has Returned 盛夏的风又回来了 When summer arrived this year, Grandpa took out an old photograph of himself with his friends when he was young. He told her that their families had once agreed to a match between their grandchildren. Recently, he'd reunited with one of his old army buddies, who also had a grandson around her age, and wanted the two of them to meet. She met him at the coffee shop where they'd arranged to meet: the boy from her memories who was always grinning and teasing her. But he looked at her like a stranger 22Reads—Score—14d adds
- 4 Peeking at the Moon 偷窥月亮 During an interview, the host asked, “Miss Chen, if you had the chance to turn your high school years into a TV drama, what would you call it?” Chen Xiaoyue replied, “Probably Peeking at the Moon!” She thought she would never remember that elegant young man again. But when she looked up at the moon, those sparkling eyes inevitably surfaced in her mind once more... 3Reads—Score—14d adds
- 5 Ten Thousand and One Springs of Bright Skies 一万零一次春和景明 My life was always destined to be filled with ten thousand springs of clear skies and bright sunshine. Your arrival made it ten thousand and one. It may have been just one more, but it was the most special of all., Wen Rong Facing the sea, with spring flowers in bloom. I love spring, but I love the spring with you even more., Wen Rong Wen Rong: “You said you liked me.” Zhou An: “I love you.” Ten years have passed, and I still love you. —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 6 Mutual Secret Crush: A Sweet and Spicy Youth Romance 双向暗恋：青春甜宠记 On Su Nian’s first day at her new school, she noticed Lin Xu. He stood beside the podium introducing himself. Sunlight slanted in through the window, making him glow. She lowered her head and dared only to sneak glances at him, her heart pounding so loudly she worried her deskmate would hear it. They became friends later on. He helped take out the trash when it was her turn to clean the classroom, and slid over a sheet of scratch paper with solutions to the math problems she couldn’t do. She kep —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 7 He Meets the Morning Light 禾遇昭光 An accident took Su He's parents, leaving her alone in an empty house. During her senior year of high school, Song Shizhao moved into the apartment across the hall. Evenings spent working through practice problems, the breeze on a mountaintop as they made wishes, New Year's Eve fireworks, and his quiet care when she fell ill: the boy's gentle companionship was like a ray of light, slowly finding its way into her life. He had never been kind to her out of pity 650Reads—Score14714d adds
- 8 Loving Enough to Let Go 爱到放手 Loving You Enough to Let Go 1Reads—Score—14d adds
- 9 The One Who Loves Too Little Doesn't Know 浅情人不知 What does it feel like to like someone? Li Shuya thought it probably meant her eyes couldn't help drifting toward him; pretending nothing was wrong as she passed by; straining to hear what he was saying to his classmates; and, whenever he spoke to her, feeling her heart race and her cheeks flush while being unable to get a single word out. What does it feel like to like someone? Yan Shuo thought it probably meant being bothered that the boy sitting in front of her was always talking to her, and 124Reads6.4Score—14d adds
- 10 The Secret in the Fountain Pen, Revealed Ten Years Later 钢笔里的秘密，藏了十年才震动 The Secret in the Fountain Pen, Revealed After Ten Years 1Reads—Score—14d adds
- 11 A Serendipitous Encounter 清遇 [Secret Crush]+ [Reunion After Years Apart]+ [Blind Date]+ [Both Leads’ First Love] What is a secret crush? Can you ever forget someone who made your heart race at first sight? After reuniting, you can hardly contain your excitement, yet you act as if nothing’s happened. You’re afraid he’ll find out, but also afraid he won’t. Shen Qing first met Chen Yu in the second semester of her sophomore year of high school. She fell in love at first sight on the road. When she looked up, he was smiling a 917Reads8.0Score10814d adds
- 12 I’ve Seen the Way You Loved Me 我看过你爱我的样子 Years later, You Mujin came across an online discussion titled, “What does it feel like to meet someone so dazzling when you're young?” A day later, her offhand reply, “Wanting to make him mine,” went viral. A few hours later, the man pulled her into his arms, twirling her hair around his fingers as he grinned roguishly. “So that's how you felt about me back then.” Blurb: Cheng Zhizhi had a relationship that lasted three days. She trie 31Reads—Score—14d adds
- 13 I Secretly Had a Crush on Him in High School 我在高中偷偷喜欢他 That evening, Shen Zhiyi dragged her exhausted body home and, as usual, collapsed onto the sofa. Her phone suddenly rang. She picked it up absentmindedly, but the moment she saw the message on the screen, her whole body froze. It was from Fang Yichen. It read: “I'm back to be your director again.” Shen Zhiyi's eyes widened as she stared at the screen in disbelief. Tears blurred her vision once more. She was just about to reply when the world suddenly spun around her. When she opened her eyes aga 1Reads—Score—14d adds
- 14 My Clock Hands Are Set to You 我的时针为你校准 [First love, secret crush, devoted affection, and a sweet HE! Childhood friends whose secret crush becomes mutual] At nine, whenever she was late, he always moved her stool into place ahead of time. At fourteen. “There’s a girl in our class who likes you.” “Who?” “Me.” “I like Cheng Man.” At eighteen, she went away to college. He could have applied to a better-ranked university in another province, but instead stayed in their city, where a train ride would let him see her. His reason: “It’s clos 2Reads—Score—14d adds
- 15 I Wrote a Novel About My High School Classmate 写小说写到高中同学头上了 Chinese medicine researcher Chen Wenli + unknown actress at an entertainment company, Shen Hehe [Love grows over time] [Mutual devotion] [Reunion after a long separation] Chen Wenli once happened to be feeling generous and helped a friend deal with a problem. He never expected that it would lead to him adding the WeChat account of the girl he’d secretly loved for years. Chen Wenli: Is this the real-life version of “A blessing in disguise”? Chen Wenli hurried back to his hometown, only to discov —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 16 Actually, I Was the First to Fall in Love 其实，是我先动的心 Chen Anran had been secretly in love with Jiang Yuqing throughout all three years of high school. One glance at the opening ceremony, and she was smitten for life. That summer after graduation, she was lucky enough to meet Jiang Yuqing again. “Jiang, I like you. Could you…” “Sure.” Chen Anran: ? I haven’t even finished asking. “Go out with me, Chen Anran.” “Okay!” … Break up? Absolutely not! Chen Younian: I’m going to protect my sister’s love! Liu Nianxue: I’m going to protect my son’s love! Ji 5Reads6.3Score—14d adds
- 17 Deep in the Woods, Unaware Spring Has Passed 林深不知春意晚 [Avoidant personality] Mu Wanwan has had a secret crush on her [straight-A deskmate] Lin Shen since high school. They secretly loved each other for years without knowing the other's feelings. After graduating from college, they meet again after a long separation. Years later, Lin Shen accidentally learns how Wanwan feels about him and confesses after drinking, but she turns him down. He confesses again on the night of graduate school registration, and the two finally end up together. (Meanwhile, 1Reads—Score—14d adds
- 18 The Big White Rabbit in My Palm 掌心里那颗大白兔 [Dark, scheming CEO vs. cheerful little ray of sunshine] A story of redemption, one-on-one romance, both leads’ first and only love, happy ending Time and again, he tries to force himself out of her life, believing that only then can she have a peaceful, happy life. Time and again, he fails so completely that he is left utterly defeated. So he resigns himself to it: whose life can really do without the warmth of sunshine? Time and again, she takes stock of the situation, weighs the pros and co 9Reads—Score—14d adds
- 19 A Strawberry-Scented Route to Salvation 草莓味的救赎航线 [School Life + Secret Crush + Mutual Feelings + Healing + HE] Su Jinyan was sent to the countryside soon after she was born. From then on, her grandmother was her whole world. But after her grandmother passed away, Su Jinyan's life changed completely. When she was nine, she met her biological parents for the first time. From then on, her life included a mother who played favorites and a father who drank too much. Then, in her final year of high school, she transferred schools, and the arrival 10Reads—Score—14d adds
- 20 Moonlight Gazing at Distant Stars 月望遥星宸 At nineteen, Li Jiyue, a first-year philosophy student, worked hard to earn a place on the student union at Yuqiao College. Her life was quiet, and she paid little attention to the outside world. Then one day, her attention was caught by an older student in the choir. His name was Ji Chenchen, and he studied photography. Warm and outgoing, gentle and considerate, earnest yet humble, he was well-known across campus. From then on, she kept moving closer to him, only to pull away again. Later, Ji C 1Reads—Score—14d adds
- 21 He Can See My Secret Hideout 他看得见我的树洞 He Can See My Tree Hollow —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 22 When Chasing the Light Fades 追光失效期 [A Secret Crush Is a Sticky Plum-Rain Season] [Idol Xu Huai × Production Assistant Mu Zhaozhao] After Mu Zhaozhao first laid eyes on Xu Huai in high school, she could never look away again. From the classroom window to the edge of the stage, from secretly collecting his posters to becoming a production assistant on his shoots. At last, one day, Mu Zhaozhao worked up the courage to speak as a fan: “Xu Huai, I've actually liked you for a long time...” “Thank you.” Mu Zhaozhao suddenly understood: 1Reads—Score—14d adds
- 23 I Always Knew About Her Alt Account Filled with Secret Crushes for Me 她写满暗恋的小号，我一直都知道 I’ve always known about her secret account, filled with posts about her unrequited love for me. 33Reads—Score—14d adds
- 24 After Years of Secretly Loving Him, My Best Friend Confessed to My Dream Guy 暗恋多年，好闺蜜竟向男神表白过 After years of secretly loving him, she discovers that her best friend once confessed to her dream guy. 8Reads—Score—14d adds
- 25 My Secret Crush Came True: The Campus Heartthrob Has Me in His Heart 暗恋成真，校草心尖有我 [Gentle Tibetan History Teacher VS Handsome Bad-Boy Surgeon from the Mainland] [Secret Crush, Reunion After Years Apart, From School to the Workplace] Zhu Yuan: "Yang Hengyu, let's take separate paths and meet again at the summit." At the end-of-term awards ceremony, their names hung side by side at the top of the rankings. She looked at him, stars shimmering in her eyes. She became the top liberal arts student just to stand beside you in the rankings. They say, "Anyone who sees t —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 26 My True Story of a Secret Crush 我的真实暗恋故事 My True Story of Secretly Loving Someone 4Reads—Score—14d adds
- 27 The Physics Professor Saw Through My Ten-Year Secret Crush 藏了十年的暗恋，被物理教授看穿 [Cardiothoracic Surgeon × Physics Department's Icy Beauty] [Secret Crush + Reunion After Years Apart + Mutual Devotion] Hidden in Gu Yi's youth is a name: Wen Yan. In high school, he was the aloof academic genius known throughout the school. She was the top student and campus beauty who found every excuse to pass by his classroom, just to sneak a glance at him. She wanted to get closer, but didn't have the courage to let him know how she felt. They went to different universities in the same city 531Reads—Score10114d adds
- 28 Deep in the Forest, I Find My Farewell: Ten Years of Silence 林深见辞，十年如默 [Contemporary sweet romance | Secret crush comes true | Reunited after years apart | Rational and restrained] Ten years ago, she and he were high school deskmates. She hid every flutter of her heart where he was concerned. Ten years later, fate brought them together again, and she realized those feelings had never faded. At a reunion, during a game, she was asked if there was someone she liked. “I used to like someone.” Four words, delivered casually, revealed the edge of her secret. When the tr 4.6kReads8.8Score27914d adds
- 29 President Mu, Your Sweet Little Jasmine Has Run Away 慕总，你的乖乖小茉莉跑了 “Sweet, gentle girl × cold-on-the-outside, warm-on-the-inside CEO; unrequited love becomes requited; both leads are virgins; bitter first, sweet later” From the first moment Lin Moxi saw Mu Huaifeng, she knew they were from different worlds, but she couldn’t help falling for him. Through her friend Yan Xinqiang, the two got to know each other. Then one day, she happened to hear him tell a friend, “Zhou Ran is great. Any normal guy would choose her as his girlfriend!” Lin Moxi’s heart sank on t 1.3kReads—Score14714d adds
- 30 The Back That Stole My Heart 心动背影 Their meeting was a chance arrangement, like a twist of fate in an hourglass. Yet the bond between them was as fragile as a spider’s thread, almost too faint to feel. It took just one glance, just one, for her heart to flutter. Perhaps this is the fate of life: some people can only meet briefly along the way before going their separate paths, only to find their way back to each other after all… 4Reads—Score—14d adds
- 31 Yu Meets Wanqing, and All I See Is You 昱见晚晴，满目皆你 Su Wanqing had been cherished by her childhood sweetheart since they were young. On her first day as an elementary school teacher, she discovers that the new education bureau official is none other than Lu Yuheng, her childhood sweetheart, who vanished from her life seven years ago. From then on, she begins a sweet, doting romance in which he secretly protects her and they find their way to each other. —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 32 A Snail's Secret-Crush Trail 蜗牛暗恋轨迹 [Campus romance + mutual pining becomes love + sweet affection + mutual devotion + first love for both + one-on-one romance + healing] Xia Youtian is a chubby girl who was mocked at school, leaving her with lasting scars. One day, after a misunderstanding, she finally learned his name: Sheng Huaiyu. He was the top student and a celebrated figure at school. The girls who liked him were as numerous as the bills in Chairman Mao's portrait. * On the bus, the girl was teary-eyed, rubbing her left han 620Reads6.8Score10914d adds
- 33 A Breeze Through Xizhou 吹意西洲 Nan Zhiyi’s mother endured a lifetime of heartache in her later years and died unhappy. She named her precious daughter Zhiyi, hoping she would find her true love and enjoy a life of fulfillment. But Nan Zhiyi let her mother down. She spent seven years pining hopelessly for someone, from her first year of high school to her senior year of college. Her feelings grew from a flutter of excitement to a burning passion, yet no one knew how she felt. Qi Xizhou, the sole heir to the Qi family, was ever 14Reads8.2Score—14d adds
- 34 Blazing Anew 再度燎原 [Reunion after years apart × marriage before love × secret crush becomes reality] Yin Qingyin had secretly loved Mo Chenlan for seven years, then spent six years trying to move on. She never expected that when they met again, the heart she thought would remain calm would still catch fire. Her marriage to Mo Chenlan was an accident. She wanted to escape her family, while he wanted to fulfill his grandmother's dream. After the wedding, just as Yin Qingyin had expected, a marriage not founded on lo 400Reads—Score—14d adds
- 35 Secretly Grasping the Light 偷偷抓住光 [A sensitive, insecure girl vs. a sunny, handsome boy] [Unrequited love becomes mutual + both are devoted to each other + love goes both ways] Lin Anyin first met Ye Chen at her most desperate. A few people had cornered her against a wall when a basketball came flying out of nowhere and rescued her. Later, they happened to meet again. After he told her, “Little girl, make sure you study hard,” she studied day and night for three years. At last, she got into the same university as him. But Ye Che 584Reads8.5Score10014d adds
- 36 The Echo of a Secret Crush 暗恋回旋 [An introverted, sensitive girl × a sunny, cheerful boy] [First love, devoted to each other, mutual pining becomes love, top students] Xia Yuanshuang had been secretly in love with someone since middle school. The boy was so wonderful that she couldn't forget him, and in their third year of middle school, she studied as hard as she could to get into the same high school as him. Hidden away in the corner of her drawer was a glass bottle filled with stars, holding the great secret of her girlhood. 13Reads—Score—14d adds
- 37 Love Where the Waters Run Deep and Still 爱在静水流深处 Thirteen years ago, the boy she fell in love with at first sight at a family gathering turned out to be the famous top student at her high school. When the secret she'd kept deep in her heart was made public, she was bullied mercilessly at school, even dragged in front of the boy of her dreams and directly rejected by him. Helpless, she had no choice but to transfer schools and go abroad. Ten years later, she crosses oceans to return for her older sister's wedding, only to become her sister's st 1.5kReads8.5Score11114d adds
- 38 After My Secret Crush Confessed to Me 被暗恋对象表白后 Jiang Yu never knew her parents. Since the grandmother who raised her was in poor health, she stayed in her hometown to work so she could take care of her. After her grandmother passed away, with nothing keeping her there, Jiang Yu went alone to Nancheng to pursue a dream she had once held, only to unexpectedly reunite with Qi Heng, the man she had secretly loved in college. Qi Heng awakened Jiang Yu’s dormant heart once more. Qi Heng never expected Jiang Yu to show up at his company. He had tho 39Reads—Score—14d adds
- 39 My Brother Has Had a Crush on Me for Years 哥哥暗恋我许多年 [A self-conscious top student who doesn't know how pretty she is x a cool, gentle, and noble young master] Lin Haoyu has loved Chen Yilin for ten years, from high school and college through work and marriage. Through her own hard work, Chen Yilin gets into A University, a top institution. There, she grows step by step in friendship, academics, and life. 4Reads—Score—14d adds
- 40 Clear Skies Over Qiuyuan Town 秋园镇，天气晴 [Fussy beauty blogger × handsome, roguish clothing-store owner] [From sworn enemies to lovers + face-slapping back in her hometown + helping the whole village become beautiful + summer-night adventures] On Nan Gui’s third day back in Qiuyuan Town from Hangcheng, she set out to complete her makeover plan for 100 local villagers. She found a chubby, fair-skinned young woman in town and planned to give her a Hanfu makeover. As she sprayed on setting spray, she suddenly realized she still didn’t kno 694Reads8.1Score10814d adds
- 41 Secret Crush: Lingering Fragrance 暗恋：余香 [Inferiority-ridden Xia Mo] vs. [Arrogant He Chi] [Bright and cheerful Xia Mo] vs. [Lonely He Chi] A story about an insecure girl healed by an arrogant boy. You love the scent of jasmine; I love the meaning of “never apart.” You’re the very definition of summer. I love summer, and I love you even more. May everything go your way, and may I no longer be in your heart. 18Reads—Score—14d adds
- 42 A Summer Tied Around My Wrist 系在手腕上的夏天 Your wrist is an arm's length from your heart, and the distance between you and me is exactly that same arm's length. Distance is such a curious thing. Too far, and you can't reach; too close, and it feels cramped. But this arm's length is just right. Close enough that when I hold your wrist, I can still feel the aftershocks of my own heartbeat; close enough to see every flutter of your lashes, but not so close that we disrupt each other's breathing. Within this arm's length, there is only you. 5Reads—Score—14d adds
- 43 Yi Nian: Gazing at the End of a Fleeting Life 易年，浮生望止 A gentle, top-of-the-class boy and a conflicted girl “I was lucky to meet you, even if only for a little while.” The year Meng Fuzhi met Yi Nian, she was fifteen. Her peaceful, ordinary life was like a butterfly suddenly alighting on a lake, sending ripples spreading in circles... She sank into the swamp of unrequited love, struggling as she slowly succumbed; tasted the unripe fruit of romance, sweet as honey yet bitter; and tried to pull away from those sweet memories, one end holding his tende —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 44 Hidden in the Autumn Rain 匿于秋雨 [Secret Crush + Bittersweet Push and Pull + Redemption + Ensemble Cast] A taciturn, secretly affectionate puppy of a man goes all out to win her back later on. Sweet, innocent girl vs. the golden boy The first time I saw Duan Siran was on a damp evening after it had rained for a whole month. I was just going about my routine, buying a bottle of water, when I stepped outside with my umbrella and “happened” to run into him. My heart skipped a beat. The second time we ran into each other, I boldly 1Reads—Score—14d adds
- 45 The Film Emperor I Secretly Adore Is Actually a Brain-Eating Lunatic 我暗恋的影帝居然是个恋吃脑 The movie star I've secretly loved turns out to be a foodie at heart. —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 46 Embrace You After the Break 破碎后拥抱你 Embrace Me After I’m Broken 1Reads—Score—14d adds
- 47 Winter's Evening Snow 冬日暮雪 [Mutual Secret Crush] [Sweet Youthful Romance] [Matchmaking Assist] [Reunion After Years Apart] [Meeting at the Summit] On the day she transferred schools, she stood at the classroom door wrapped in a chill, like a wildflower bent beneath wind and snow, until her eyes met Zhang Xu's. His gaze was so clear, brimming with the unique passion and sincerity of youth, like the first ray of sunlight breaking through the clouds after a long spell of gloom. It fell straight onto her heart, veiled in fros —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 48 A Summer of Chance Encounters 奇遇一夏 A Summer of Serendipity —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 49 A Love Letter Written in Stars 星星情书 [Reunited after years apart, secret crush becomes reality, both devoted only to each other] At a class reunion, after someone sang Eason Chan’s Ten Years, a person joked, “How could anyone like someone for more than ten years? That’s just ridiculous.” The girl beside her propped her head on her hand and asked, “But what does it feel like to like someone for that long?” Looking at the lyrics on the screen, Jiang Lizhi answered casually, “Maybe it’s that if he stood in front of me again, my heart 90Reads6.6Score—14d adds
- 50 I Keep the Moon in My Heart 我把月亮藏在心里 [Devoted to Each Other, 1v1] + [Secret School Crush] + [Reunion After Years Apart] Lin Yu first met Gu Jin on the first day of her second year of high school. The boy smiled at her, and that smile made Lin Yu's entire youth shine. Following the homeroom teacher's instructions, Lin Yu walked toward her seat. Gu Jin stopped what he was doing, looked up, and smiled as he greeted her. His smile was like the moon over the mountains, like a breeze through the woods, clean and gentle. It wasn't until a 220Reads8.7Score—14d adds
