Novels like Hard to Give Up
Books Chinese readers most often put in the same booklists as Hard to Give Up, best match first.
- 1 Want to Make a Bet with Me? 要和我打个赌吗？ Shu Yurong had always been the kind of person people called “someone else’s kid.” At the province’s top high school, he’d been a brilliant student and the campus heartthrob, making quite a name for himself. But after his parents divorced, he was forced to transfer with his unreliable dad to an obscure school in a small, backwater city. In his new surroundings, he planned to leave his former flashy, arrogant ways behind and turn over a new leaf. Instead, he got into a feud with one of his new sc 17Reads—Score—14d adds
- 2 Twin Shadows of Xuan Guang: The Bond Between Ruan Mingxuan and Li Ruoxuan 轩光双影：阮明轩与李若轩的羁绊 [Male-male romance + campus life + happy ending + love grows over time] This is a story about Ruan Mingxuan and Li Ruoxuan at Fengshan College. Ruan Mingxuan is a 2019 undergraduate in Public Administration at the School of Social Sciences and a 2023 graduate student in Business Administration at the same school. As an undergraduate, he was the study representative of Public Administration Class 1901 and head of the Student Union’s Study Department. As a graduate student, he is a member of the u —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 3 Days Gone By 故日 [“What you thought was our first meeting was actually a reunion I earned after crying through countless springs and summers.”] Experimental No. 1 Middle School / Yijiang No. 6 Middle School’s campus F5: Jiang Yan, Mo Yan, Duan Ling, Chen Wen, Jiang Shunhan. An icy top student who has been bullied for years × a struggling student reborn to save him in the bloom of youth “Jiang Yan... Jiang Yan! Can you hear me?” “Jiang Yan... Jiang Yan! Can you hear me? Wake up...” “Hey, what kind of achievemen 6Reads—Score—14d adds
- 4 A Lifetime of Fulfillment 余生皆满 (Also known as The Mutual Pursuit of a Top Student and a Transfer Student) Aloof top student Cheng Yu × chatty underachiever Xu Man Cheng Yu has known since childhood that he is superfluous. Nearly every misfortune in his family began when he was born. His mother died of postpartum hemorrhage, his father refused to raise him and started a new family, and his grandfather died of illness when Cheng Yu was seven. His grandmother was so devastated that she took to her sickbed. From then on, the word 1Reads—Score—14d adds
- 5 Can I Compare You to a Catalyst? 我能否把你比作催化剂 On a copy of Chekhov’s Selected Stories that Cheng Mingqiu, a sophomore chemistry major, borrowed from the library, he found a note written in blue ballpoint pen. “Chekhov didn’t write about love. He wrote about being tired.” He didn’t know who had written it. But he wrote in the margin, “I don’t think it’s about being tired.” He returned the book, then borrowed it again. Beneath the blue writing, new words in pencil had appeared. He returned it and borrowed it again. The blue and pencil note —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 6 Summer of Forgetting 遗忘之夏 [Light ABO elements] [School life] (The ABO setting serves the plot and is not the focus.) That summer they forgot, or perhaps never remembered very clearly, was it bitter or sweet? After they reunite, the happy memories come alive, and even the faint, painful ones take shape. They were childhood friends and neighbors. In high school, they become neighbors again, living just a few meters apart. Only then do they realize that somehow, neither of them has changed at all. Only their state of min 2Reads—Score—14d adds
- 7 Hello? Bibi? 喂？比比？ [Two equally formidable leads] + [Two male leads] + [Healing] + [Sweet romance] Luo Chu is cocky, cool, and the top student in his grade. Su Jinhan, known as the handsome guy with an exotic charm, is also top of the grade. With no worthy opponent to challenge him in an academic showdown, he thought of the math olympiad from three years ago, where the other contestant had matched him blow for blow. Luo Chu didn’t want to compete, but his homeroom teacher begged him. Fine, he’d agree, reluctantly. 1Reads—Score—14d adds
- 8 A Summer Crush 夏日的鑫动 On the first day of military training, Yang Xiaojun caught sight of a pair of eyes in the class next door. There was nothing special about those eyes, yet he remembered them all summer. He didn’t know the other boy’s name. He only knew that the sun was blazing and the boy stood in the second row of the neighboring class. Later, he could pick out the boy’s silhouette from the crowd at a glance. Later still, thanks to a coincidence he could hardly believe himself, he added him as a friend. Li Jinx —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 9 The Ice-Cold Beauty Vs. the Troublemaker Jock 高岭之花vs问题体育生 [Dual Male Leads] [Campus Youth] One is a "distant flower on a high peak" in other people's eyes, but is lonely inside and uses a perfect facade to protect himself. The other lives freely and does as he pleases, but deep down longs to be truly seen and accepted, and resists the label of "good student." During the crucial years of high school, their sophomore and junior years, the two are drawn to each other. Calm and restrained vs. passionate and uninhibited Rules and order vs. freedom and nonco 61Reads—Score—14d adds
- 10 Crossing the Line 不越规 [Dual Male Leads] [Pure-Hearted Top Student Turns into a Mad Dog] [A Self-Doubting Boy’s Coming-of-Age Story] Liu Shaoqu’s life was filled with regrets from the very beginning. The wounds of his childhood made him grow like a weed, silent and small, always retreating into his own world and never daring to hope for too much. Then he met Dong Shuwen, a boy who seemed to live in the light: outstanding, gentle, and so perfect he hardly seemed real. Again and again, he reached out to Liu Shaoqu, bec 39Reads—Score—14d adds
- 11 The Top Student and the School Bully's Moment of Surrender 学霸与校霸的真香现场 “If any of you dares pick on this delicate little thing, wait until after school!” Ruan, the aloof top student known as a “delicate little thing,” shot Chi, the school bully, a chilly glance, snorted, rolled her eyes, and turned to leave. “I like you. You... please don’t leave me.” Ruan gazed at Chi, her cheeks flushed. Seeing this, Chi chuckled softly. Just as the light in the little one’s eyes began to dim, a warm, amused voice slipped from her throat. “My delicate little thing, I like you too 37Reads5.5Score—14d adds
- 12 That Summer Long Ago 彼年盛夏 Blazing sun versus thousand-year ice. The top student in the school versus the runner-up. Two equally strong male leads. Perhaps this is what it means for an iron tree to bloom and thousand-year ice to melt. “If you can’t warm this block of ice in your hands, put it in your mouth. Keep it there, and maybe it’ll melt…” “Not responding doesn’t mean I like you.” “I’m not the type to clap for other people, so I prefer being the one who gets the applause.” “Just love me. I’ll spend the rest of my lif 316Reads—Score10514d adds
- 13 My Roommate Fell in Love with Me at First Sight 舍友对我一见钟情 Avoidant playboy bottom + self-healing, handsome top student top + rekindled love + happy ending Content warning: The bottom is not a virgin. He struggles to love at first and is quite a playboy. Are they roommates, online friends, or boyfriends who got together in record time? Xu Yang: Let me hear you call me big brother. Jiang Shi, swallowing his humiliation: Big brother. He thought he was dealing with a naive kid, only to discover the other guy was playing dumb while secretly pulling the stri 3Reads—Score—14d adds
- 14 Light and Shadow: An Untitled Two-Way Journey 光与影：未命名的双向轨迹 [Two Male Leads*Campus Romance*Mutual Healing: Ye Shen & Meng Cheng] “I don’t want an apple.” Meng Cheng gently ran his fingers through Ye Shen’s hair, his voice low and tender. “I’m thinking about what our home will be like someday.” Ye Shen opened his eyes and looked at Meng Cheng’s chin, so close to his own. A smile curled his lips. “As long as there’s a bed, a computer, and you, that’s enough.” Ye Shen: “The lady at the supermarket asked if we were a couple.” Meng Cheng: “What did you say?” 6Reads—Score—14d adds
- 15 Summer's Embers Still Burn 夏烬未熄 [Two male leads + campus life + growing up + sweet romance + tragic ending] [Sunny, straightforward shou Cheng Ye × aloof, icy gong Lu Jingyan] Cheng Ye is a lively boy who loves to talk big. When the class assignments change in his second year of high school, he’s stunned by Lu Jingyan, the school legend in his class. This supposedly icy, top-ranking student behaves nothing like his reputation, and Cheng Ye can’t help wanting to get to the bottom of it. Only after a domestic abuse incident d 5Reads—Score—14d adds
- 16 Campus: The Twin Stars Shine 校园之双星闪耀 A one-on-one youth campus romance. Truth is a star, forever aloft in the clouds, the eternal lodestar in a young heart. They once vied with each other in brilliance, their paths crossing, but in the end they will reflect one another's light and grow together! 6Reads—Score—14d adds
- 17 A Three-Year Promise 三年有约 One set of high school entrance exam results sends Tao Jia Ran to Bowen High School. Just before the new term begins, she meets “upperclassman” Zhang Yao Chen. Soon, he becomes her deskmate, and their chaotic, laughter-filled three years begin. As they spend time together, they gradually open up to each other. 9Reads—Score314d adds
- 18 Nanyang Misses No Fish 南阳念无鱼 [Modern setting + campus + two male leads + mutual devotion + reunion + sweet romance] Qi Nan: I keep my love sealed in my heart. Zhou Huaiyang: Then I'll be the one to say it aloud. They meet in spring, grow close in summer, fall in love in autumn, and stay by each other's side through the winter snow. Zhou Huaiyang: This guy's so well-behaved. Why does everyone say he's got a bad temper? Qi Nan is walking a dog while carrying it? I have to get a picture. No wonder nobody's been giving me troub 6Reads—Score—14d adds
- 19 The Top Student's Secret Crush 第一名的暗恋 The Top Student's Secret Crush —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 20 What’s with the Transfer Student? 转校生为何那样 2Reads—Score—14d adds
- 21 The System Is Breathing 系统在呼吸 Completed [Two Male Leads + School Life + Mutual Salvation + Pure Love] He is the student council president everyone envies, yet he needs medication to control the tremors in his hands. He is the “former cheater” ostracized by the entire school, and for three years, he has used data to armor himself layer by layer. A secret agreement connects two “flawed” systems. One teaches the other how to hide his imperfections; the other helps him repair his shattered trust. When a desk-side pen-spinni 2Reads—Score—14d adds
- 22 My Junior's Gentle Trap 学弟的温柔陷阱 [Campus + Two Male Leads + Secret Crush] Su Yan once warned himself not to fall too deeply. Loving a straight guy could only end in heartbreak. But Gu Chen keeps breaking through his defenses, again and again. Gu Chen is a sunny boy with a hint of mischief. A single glance is enough to send Su Yan's heart racing. Chance encounters in the hallway, exchanged looks by the court, seemingly casual touches, tender moments in the rain... Every little thing Gu Chen does feels like a flirtation, but then —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 23 Journey Across Yuechuan 越川行 Complete · Two Male Leads · School Life · Bittersweet · Reunion After Years Apart · Art Students · Happy Ending They have known each other for twelve years. They first met in their second year of high school, spent four years as friends at university, and then were apart for six years. Song Xuchuan kept his feelings hidden deep, staying by his side as a friend. He went to the same university, watched him gradually fall for someone, watched him get together with someone else, and finally chose to 12Reads—Score—14d adds
- 24 Jianghai, Weren't You Supposed to Be Straight? 江海，说好的直男呢？ Two Male Leads The devoted, gentle Jiang Hai VS the artistic Lu Zhichuan The wealthy yet broken Zhou Tingye VS the proud, unruly Chen Shuyi A single rose on Qixi Festival brought them together, and neither expected it to be love at first sight. Through one encounter and contest after another, they discovered the mysterious feelings hidden within each other, drawn together until they finally faced society's resistance side by side. An entirely original work featuring humor, suspense, and explorat 2Reads—Score—14d adds
- 25 When the Stars Meet Their Moment 繁星逢时 Youthful Campus, Secret Crush, Reunion After Years Apart Xiao Yu considers himself aloof and distant, but in reality, Lu Chengyang can rile him up with a single provocation, turning the cold-faced cutie into a prickly cat. They knew each other as children, were separated for a time, then met again in high school. Xiao Yu, however, had forgotten him. As they grow closer, they save each other in turn. 95Reads6.8Score—14d adds
- 26 What? This Underclassman Is Older Than Me 什么，这个学弟比我大 [Two Male Leads + Modern Romance + Campus Life + Younger Academic Prodigy Who’s a Socially Anxious Upperclassman + Loyal, Wealthy Campus Prince of a Younger Student + All Adults + Everyday College Life] [Haidu Campus Prince Series, Part One] Not a wish-fulfillment story. A realistic slice of everyday life, inspired by real experiences. The two boys on the rooftop fell silent for a while. Maybe they both wanted a moment of peace, or maybe they were each lost in thought. Suddenly, a familiar melo 160Reads—Score—14d adds
- 27 This Top Student Is a Bit of a Delinquent 这个学霸有点渣 Two top students Jiang Xun x Shen Ao Two top students Enter with caution: BE (The romance develops slowly, so enter with caution if you prefer a faster pace.) “I’ve been to so many places, the ones we used to talk about.” “There’s no snow in Ireland in winter; California’s sunsets really are beautiful; and Iceland has endless glaciers and auroras stretching across the sky. Alaska’s two-colored waters still don’t mix, just like us. We’ll never meet again.” “Don’t be sad. Even if we’re destined 5Reads—Score—14d adds
- 28 Just How Many Good Brothers Do You Have? 你到底有几个好哥哥？ After their parents divorced, the twins were separated at a young age. When the top student Gu Senye transferred schools, he unexpectedly reunited with his golden-haired school-bully brother, Zhang Linzhi. Since his brother and the top student in their grade, Song Xingye, were bitter enemies, Gu Senye was instinctively hostile toward Song Xingye too. He never expected this to pique Song Xingye’s interest. Top: Song Xingye Bottom: Gu Senye Song Xingye was flipping through a book when a workbook 165Reads—Score—14d adds
- 29 Come Back When You're Done Playing Around 野够了就回来 [An icy top student # A sharp-tongued, goofy bad boy # Who tops and who bottoms?] One seems cool and composed on the outside, with a blank expression, but is actually full of inner thoughts. The other has an intimidating face, a cool, cocky air, and striking bone structure, but in private he’s not only sharp-tongued, he’s also a total goofball. Chu Huaifeng... A grown man named Chu Chu? The teachers call him the Great Hero Chu. So Chu Huaifeng nicknames Lin Jingxu “Beauty Lin.” Lin your grandpa! 68Reads8.2Score—14d adds
- 30 Something Is Off About My Senior 我的学长他不对劲 Junle always thought they were ordinary-looking, had an ordinary personality, and came from an ordinary family. They joined the school's arts club hoping to keep a low profile, only to find everyone saying the campus heartthrob had a crush on them. Junle was about to deny it when the heartthrob showed up in grand style and backed them into a corner. Qi Tian: “Junle, there's a rumor going around that I like you. I just want to clarify that it's not a rumor.” From then on, the heartthrob had Junle 3Reads6.0Score—14d adds
- 31 What Remains After the Fire 焚余 Once, Shen Weiyang pinned me against the bathroom wall and slapped me, asking if I’d learned my lesson. I said nothing. Later, at the gates of A University, that aloof young man stopped me, his eyes red and his voice trembling. “I’ve waited for you for three years.” I looked at him and asked softly, “Do you know what’s left after the flames?” It’s the ashes left behind after something burns. They’ll never catch fire again. But he doesn’t know this: On the day I was bullied the worst, the person —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 32 Hai Zhi and Zhuo Gu 海知浊顾 [He/Fluffy Romance/Campus/Illness/“Brotherly Bond”] This book is told from the secondary couple’s perspective. The main couple’s story is "He and His Little Friend". This book is a standalone story for the secondary couple. It will follow the main plot exactly, but I’ll add some new content in places where the main couple’s story didn’t mention them. “If I hadn’t died back then, would you have stayed sane, big brother?” “Probably would’ve gone mad anyway.” “Then this time, I’ll stay by your side 3Reads—Score—14d adds
- 33 Conjugate Knight Syndrome 共轭骑士病 [Dual male leads + campus + wealthy families + slow burn · tugging each other’s leashes · made for each other · sunny, resilient puppy-type little bitter melon x refined, sharp-tongued cat-type white knight] Have you ever imagined waking up to discover you’re the child of a wealthy family who was lost years ago, and that all you have to do is go home to enjoy a life of luxury? Ke Yeheng hadn’t. Mainly because he didn’t have time. In the time it took to entertain that fantasy, he could beat up at 4Reads—Score—14d adds
- 34 When Spring Comes: I Want to Get a Little Closer to You 逢春：想多靠近你一点 [Campus] [Ensemble Cast] [Secret Crush Comes True] [Cowardly Lovers] Gentle, flirtatious beauty seme x cold-faced, kind-hearted uke with a surprising side A story about a moderately severe social anxiety sufferer who tries to avoid socializing by maintaining a "cool and aloof" persona, only to meet a group of people who refuse to back down. When his private, blank world is boldly painted green, the ice melts, and it feels like spring has arrived. The young man sighs. Oh well. He likes plants. 1Reads—Score—14d adds
- 35 After Two Days of the Cold War, My Partner Married His First Love 冷战两天，对象和他的白月光结婚了 After two days of cold war, my partner married his first love. 83Reads—Score—14d adds
- 36 Back to My First Year of High School to Make It Up to the Boy I Wronged 重回高一，把亏欠少年补回来 At 33, emergency room doctor Shen Zhi’s life ended on a night shift, after a violent dispute with a patient’s family and a failed resuscitation. As he lay dying, he had only one regret: Sui Jing, the man he had loved for four years, still didn’t know the password to the bank card he had secretly saved up for him. 803Reads—Score10314d adds
- 37 He’s My Boyfriend 他是我对象 (If you're reading, please leave a rating. An honest review is all I ask! Thank you!) [Two Male Leads + Both Pure + Pure Campus Romance + Mutual Secret Crushes + Intense Push and Pull] Xuesi, the first top university in Yuncheng to start the school year early, is secretly cursed by thousands of students. Top student Wen Luo'en is Yuncheng's highest-scoring student. On the first day of school, he somehow manages to offend Xiang Jiashan, his future partner. They like each other, but a small misund 4Reads—Score—14d adds
- 38 Aren’t We Mortal Enemies? Why Are You Kissing Me? 我们不是死对头吗？你亲我干嘛 [Bright, flamboyant young master × abstinent, icy, loyal puppy + campus romance + just a little regretful chase] At the university reunion dinner, it had already been three days since Zhou Yeyu disappeared from Zhu Lingyao's side. The table was full of distinguished guests. He spotted Zhou Yeyu. The man wore a black suit, his features strikingly handsome, his presence seductive and noble in the golden light. He was talking to a classmate who had come to toast him, his profile cool yet breathtaki 48Reads—Score—14d adds
- 39 Summer Love Paradox 夏恋悖论 [Two male leads + school life + both take the lead + healing + pure love + devoted 1v1] [Sunny, roguish campus hotshot Lu Chenyi × cool, direct guy who’s cold outside and warm inside Shen Che] In the northeastern summer, Lu Chenyi is the name to drop around A University. He’s handsome and wild, with a pack of unruly buddies and an uncontrollable husky named Tuesday. His easygoing days last until he runs into Shen Che. Who’s Shen Che? The new transfer student, with black hair and a cold express 61Reads—Score—14d adds
- 40 Wu Guo Has a Master 吴过有师 The main characters are adults. Two male leads, no System, no transmigration, mutual healing, quirky everyday life, comedy and lighthearted fun. They met in winter, during the year they spent every day pondering the meaning of life. Life is a gem God gives us to shape with care. It might also be a headless fly that we can’t stand. They go from misunderstanding each other to understanding each other, growing together along the way. Whether in friendship or love, the ultimate goal isn’t finding 3Reads—Score—14d adds
- 41 The School Bully Turns into an Omega, and His Aloof Childhood Friend Falls Apart 校霸变成O后高冷竹马崩了 [Dual male leads, both adults! + ABO + secret crush + college campus + sworn enemies] [Sunny, carefree campus king Lu Yiyang, an omega × seemingly composed but secretly flirtatious genius Lin Shuo, an alpha] Lu Yiyang had always identified as a beta. Then an unexpected collision on the Wutong Avenue set the gears of their fate in motion. Lu Yiyang: “Huh?” “I’m not a beta?” “Why? I turned into an omega!” Lin Shuo: “I’ll take responsibility!!!” Lu Yiyang: “Who wants you to take responsibility? Get 7Reads—Score—14d adds
- 42 I Am Number One 我是第一 [School Life + Two Male Leads + Older Love Interest + First Love + Chuunibyou] By day, Ye Xie was an exemplary student. At home, he was a devoted son to his parents. At seventeen, he did the most outrageous thing of his life: he ran away from home. Not long after arriving in Ningcheng, he met someone: Xu Chi. Xu Chi was a handful in public and even more of a handful in private. But since he had always held firmly to the top spot in the grade, neither teachers nor parents could do anything about 341Reads6.6Score—14d adds
- 43 The Young Master Is Soft Yet Wild 小少爷他又软又野 [Two male leads × Campus story] Short-tempered, sensitive, forgetful, lazy receiver × Cold, ruthless, sharp-tongued, dark pursuer Because of his looks and personality, Chen You always seemed sweet and innocent to everyone. Until one day, Chen You hid in the restroom to smoke. Wisps of white smoke veiled the handsome, refined face of the boy. But when the smoke cleared, he suddenly saw a boy standing in the doorway, blending into the night, walking toward him step by step... He'd been caught!!! 2Reads—Score—14d adds
- 44 Wait: Until the Rain Stops 等：雨停 Le Tong looked at the hand the stone-faced boy beside him had placed on the back of his. He asked, annoyed, “What are you doing?” “Qian Lingfeng: My hand’s cold.” Le Tong gave a scoffing laugh, wrapped both hands firmly around his long-fingered palm, and raised an eyebrow. “Still cold?” “Not anymore.” 55Reads8.2Score10514d adds
- 45 The Days of Dating a Gaming God 和大神谈恋爱的日子 A custom Overwatch match sets off a chain of events. Qin Chuan never expected that the person in the game who was always telling him to call them “Dad” would turn out to be the handsome top student rumored to be aloof and strange. As if that weren’t enough, the top student later becomes an assistant adviser for Qin Chuan’s class, appoints him class representative, and starts bossing him around while giving him all kinds of special attention. Is this revenge or what? This is a college-campus stor —Reads6.3Score—14d adds
- 46 Junior, I've Set My Sights on You 学弟，我赖上你了 “Let's stop being a couple.” “Why?” “Don't you like me anymore? Is there someone else?!” “You idiot! I mean, let's get married!” 1Reads6.5Score—14d adds
- 47 Your Drumbeat, My Strings 你的鼓点，我的弦音 Your Drumbeats, My Strings —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 48 Sunshine Forest 阳光森林 Mutual pining, unabashed flirting, a love for one person alone, sweet with a little angst, and a second chance at love. [Top student top with excellent grades and looks, secretly a dangerously beautiful man who defies convention and loves only one person x Cocky, handsome, carefree, domineering bottom, secretly a gentle, considerate, understanding, pitiful puppy] Lin Yang, the top student, and Yi Guangyu, a bottom-ranked student who transmigrated and only wanted to crack jokes, got off on the wr 903Reads—Score23814d adds
- 49 After Returning Home, I Won Back the Aloof Top Student 回国后，重新追回清冷学神 [Reunion after years apart, rekindled romance, winning back his wife, bittersweet] Warm, sunny gong determined to win his love back, Ke Gui × aloof, lonely academic prodigy, Ye Xun Ye Xun and Ke Gui were childhood friends who grew up together. But after a class reunion, Ke Gui suddenly left, leaving Ye Xun alone for three years. When they met again, Ke Gui was the one who sought Ye Xun out. Ke Gui had figured out a lot and sorted through his feelings. He was going to win Ye Xun back. Nothing mat 382Reads8.7Score—14d adds
- 50 The Arrogant Top Student 招摇学霸 [Power Couple Flirting + Secret Crush Comes True + Mutual Devotion + Sweet Campus Romance] A gentle, scheming beauty of a seme × a prickly tsundere uke with a soft heart “You thought you were saving an angel, but you picked up a wolf.” Years ago, Ji Yang found a poor kid being bullied in an alley. He stood in front of him and promised, “I'll protect you from now on.” But the kid didn't even say thank you. He just turned and ran, then eventually vanished without a trace. When they meet again, t 43Reads—Score—14d adds
