Novels like Locked in Love, Broken by Sorrow
Books Chinese readers most often put in the same booklists as Locked in Love, Broken by Sorrow, best match first.
- 1 Forbidden Love in Black 黑色禁恋 Dual male leads + unhinged characters + captivity + love growing over time + love and hate + split personality A father who jumped from a building, a mother with a bad leg, a younger sister still in elementary school, and him, weighed down by debt and forced to give up the woman he loved. Under the pressure, Gu Nianqing becomes Xu Yi’s canary, trapped in the palm of his hand and entering a life of dependence with no say of his own. At first, Xu Yi’s meticulous care warms Gu Nianqing’s heart, but 810Reads6.2Score—14d adds
- 2 The Pricey Servant 天价仆人 [Cool-headed, composed, secretly passionate x playboy] A young male servant came to live in the house, and Bai Fengyu's favorite thing to do was punish him, punish him, and punish him again. The more the young servant was pushed around, the more spirited he became. He dared to challenge the tiger, and spent all day picking fights with heaven, earth, and thin air. He was just like a little hedgehog. “What do I do? I think I've fallen for him,” Bai Fengyu thought to himself. Lu Lingge: “That idiot 168Reads—Score—14d adds
- 3 The Wen Family’s Servant 文家家奴 All the main characters attend an elite training academy, and the setting includes slavery! 💙 Arrogant, reserved eldest son of the Wen family (top, 20): strict about rules!!! Takes in an affectionate, mischievous personal slave (bottom, 20), who’s always being made to reflect on his behavior and punished. 💜 Sunny, warmhearted second son of the Wen family (top, 20): I want to be with you! Takes in a humble, rule-abiding personal slave (bottom, 20): This slave only wishes to remain by your side fo 21Reads—Score—14d adds
- 4 The Cemetery the Monsoon Passed Through 季风吹过的墓园 Lin Yu'an × Ji Heng. Two male leads. Tragedy. Bad ending. Love blossoming beneath the shade of a parasol tree should have been the purest light, but a buried hatred tore it out by the roots. Ji Heng carried the scar of a family destroyed. During his time with Lin Yu'an, he both basked in the warmth in Lin Yu'an's eyes and honed his blade of revenge. When the truth shattered their sweet illusion, he dragged Lin Yu'an's paradise into hell with his own hands: the company went bankrupt, his parents 1Reads—Score—14d adds
- 5 Liubai Bansheng's Eighth Book 留白半生的第8本书 My new work is out! You can find it on Tomato Novel. I hope you enjoy it. Your support motivates me to write, and I'll do my best to tell every story well! 75Reads—Score—14d adds
- 6 Becoming My Archenemy's Slave 成为死对头的奴隶 Jiang Yi was an orphan with unknown parents. Beaten and scolded as he grew up with his adoptive parents, he was unexpectedly sold to his sworn enemy. From a boy fixated on being loved, he grew into a commander capable of holding his own. So, Zuo Han, want to give it a try? Gu Bai was born the lowliest of slaves, but even on his knees, he held his back straight. Through his own abilities, he became a legend in the mecha program and won countless battles, eventually rising to the rank of a lord. Z 52Reads—Score—14d adds
- 7 When the Deception Was Exposed, He Demanded I Pay in Person 骗局被拆穿后，他要我亲自来偿 [The betrayed top turns obsessive × the devoted bottom who only wants to make peace] [Two male leads + forced love + wealthy CEO and entertainment industry + taking by force + rekindled love + groveling pursuit] [Ye Chao × Chu Li] Six years ago, Chu Li feigned love, took half of Ye Chao’s fortune, then disappeared without a trace. After that, Ye Chao grew ever more ruthless, built his business empire, and swore he would search every inch of the earth to find him. Six years later, Chu Li came 146Reads6.2Score—14d adds
- 8 Imprisoned in the Eastern Palace 困锁东宫 Lian Che ran away from home on a whim to avoid being forced into marriage. While being pursued by his enemies, he fell into a valley with no way out. He landed on Xuan Mo, who was curled around a tree, asleep. Dazed by the impact, Xuan Mo stared at the unconscious Lian Che. In this isolated valley, their story began. When Xuan Mo regained his human form and was about to pledge his eternal love to Lian Che, Lian Che pulled his hand away and said coldly, “I’ll marry someone else. I was lying to yo 121Reads6.7Score—14d adds
- 9 After the Substitute Leaves, the Movie Emperor Wants Nothing to Do with You! 替身退场后，影帝看不上你了！ My new work is out! You can head over to Tomato Novel to read it. I hope you’ll enjoy it. Your support inspires me to write, and I’ll do my best to tell every story well! 3Reads—Score—14d adds
- 10 Thank You for Your Hard Work, Mr. White Fox! 辛苦了！我的白狐先生！ Supernatural | Love-addicted | Historical romance | Modern romance | City love | A little unhinged | A little angsty | A little sweet | A little funny | Handsome men and beautiful women | Two male leads Su Miao is a female general. By chance, she meets Bai Sheng, and their tangled bond begins, spanning lifetime after lifetime. 1Reads—Score—14d adds
- 11 The Shadow Guard Becomes a Slave 影卫为奴 New chapters every day! [Coercive love / confinement / everyone’s favorite / unhinged characters / physical and emotional torment / regret after losing them forever / devoted couple, happy ending] “You don’t deserve to call yourself my master, and you have no right to die.” Feixue was once Yan Ling’s shadow guard. He loved Yan Ling, but betrayed him and brought about the extermination of the Yan clan. Five years later, after his kingdom fell and his family was destroyed, Yan Ling dragged him bac 1.1kReads6.9Score11014d adds
- 12 After Falling on Hard Times, I Was Forced into Love 落魄后，被强制爱了 Bottom-led romance + forced love + angsty melodrama + imprisonment, physical and emotional torment One fall from grace, and there was no way back. Especially when the people on the other side were his old sworn enemies, and there were three of them! As the saying goes: The wicked will be punished by Heaven. The arrogant will be claimed by ghosts. Shen Libai's father was once a God of War in the Heavenly Court. After one careless mistake, the Jade Emperor punished him, sending his entire family t 569Reads8.0Score—14d adds
- 13 The Desperate Butler 绝望男仆 My new work is out! You can read it on Tomato Novel. I hope you enjoy it. Your support is what keeps me writing, and I'll do my best to tell every story well! 417Reads8.0Score—14d adds
- 14 The Poor Little Thing Always Thinks He's a Substitute 小可怜总以为自己是替身 ✨The first time Fu Chen sent Xia Xingyan away was because someone said his and his younger sister Fu Shi’s fates were incompatible. But Xia Xingyan fell into enemy hands and came back covered in wounds. ✨Out of guilt and instinct, Fu Chen treated Xia Xingyan even better than before, and Xia Xingyan gradually fell for him. But their happy days didn’t last. Fu Shi was at death’s door, and all the evidence of poisoning pointed to Xia Xingyan. Fu Chen grabbed him by the throat in a fit of rage and d 780Reads—Score—14d adds
- 15 After I Faked My Death, the Whole World Started Loving Me 假死后全世界都开始爱我 Main story complete [Angsty and satisfying, everyone faces a reckoning, devoted couple, one-on-one] Obsessive, scheming, unhinged beauty vs. young master who starts out humble and becomes a queen “Do you know the person in your arms is my younger brother?” His only reply was a sharp slap and one word: “Get lost.” After his family went bankrupt, Lin Xiaoshen became Gu Minglang’s lover. It wasn’t until Lu Chenxing returned home that he learned he had been someone’s stand-in for seven years. 37Reads—Score—14d adds
- 16 The Transmigrated, Abused Bottom Goes on a Killing Spree 穿越被虐的小受，他杀疯了 The abused bottom transmigrated, and now he's gone on a killing spree 74Reads—Score—14d adds
- 17 May My Life Be Free of Trouble and Calamity 愿我一世无清无灾 Wu Zai was branded a “harbinger of disaster” from birth. Everyone hated and bullied him. He thought meeting Mu Qing would save him, but it turned out to be an even deeper abyss. “Y-you really never loved me?” “Someone like you, a ‘harbinger of disaster,’ doesn’t deserve my love.” In the end, he put an end to his painful life. 118Reads—Score—14d adds
- 18 Can I Love You? No 我可以爱你吗？不可以 Bad ending Two male leads + melodramatic angst + groveling to win back his wife + loving without knowing it Xie Xinyu was truly exhausted. He had loved Zhou Heng for six years and given him everything, but Zhou Heng never appreciated it. He asked Zhou Heng, “What are we to each other?” But Zhou Heng replied, “You don’t know what we are? How could I ever like you? I’m a normal person, and you’re a bona fide pervert...” —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 19 Report! The Cool Director Has Been Snatched Away by the Tycoon Again 报告！清冷导演又被大佬抓走了 The main story is complete; bonus chapters are still in progress. [Locked-room captivity + yandere + male ghost + two unhinged leads + wallpapering + melodrama + wife-chasing funeral + personality disorder] (Younger man/older man, seven-year age gap, neither is sexually inexperienced. If that bothers you, please move along.) A refined, polite scoundrel hiding a madman, the possessive top × a cool, withdrawn, gloomy bottom with PTSD Gu Zhiyan has a lifesaver, but he has forgotten him. All he reme 217Reads6.7Score—14d adds
- 20 After His Immortal Bone Was Stolen, He Cultivated the Heartless Way 被挖仙骨后他转修无情道 [Cool and resilient senior disciple Shen Mucheng × the third prince Yuan Chang'an, who is not what he seems; everyone's favorite, melodrama, physical and emotional torment, imprisonment, amnesia] Shen Mucheng, the eldest disciple of Tianjian Sect leader Luo Mingchuan, was born with immortal bones. After an accident left his junior brother gravely injured, the immortal bones were needed as medicine. His second and third junior brothers conspired to cut them out of him while he was still alive, da 85Reads—Score—14d adds
- 21 Those Years I Used the Male Lead as a Stand-In After I Transmigrated into a Book 穿书后把男主攻当替身那些年 [Looks like a 1v2, actually 1v1 | Two stand-ins | Scumbag finds true love → clear-eyed surrender | Winning him back at any cost | Face-slapping] [Clear-headed Omega Ji Yanshu × overbearing Alpha Fu Yantang] [The actor who knows he's acting × the audience who gets swept into the role] Ji Yanshu transmigrated into a melodramatic ABO novel as the stand-in for an overbearing Alpha's unattainable first love. The mission: Be his devoted doormat for four years, then take his own life at the wedding, a 3.4kReads8.3Score61014d adds
- 22 Imprisoned in White 囚白 Two male leads | Angsty | Brutal angst | Imprisonment | Twisted and possessive | Redemption Qin Bai rules both the legitimate and criminal worlds, but is battered in turn by depression and an obsessive need for cleanliness. His one fixation is his beloved, Ji Song, the cowardly scumbag who pursued him for ten years, whose mother ran off, and who still came to flirt with him after marriage. The two are locked in a torturous cycle of “imprisonment, escape, and begging for forgiveness,” until Ji So 205Reads—Score—14d adds
- 23 Your Heart Says I Love You 2 你的心在说我爱你2 Your Heart Says I Love You 2 45Reads—Score—14d adds
- 24 The Old Track 故辙 The Old Road 25Reads—Score—14d adds
- 25 Forced to Become His Substitute Husband 被迫成了他的替身男妻 Ling Qiu loved Qin Muyang with all his heart, though the feeling was never returned. He loved him when he was thrown into a fiery pit and nearly burned to death. He loved him when everyone beat and berated him. Even when he went to prison in place of the person Qin Muyang loved, he still loved him hopelessly. It wasn't until he got out of prison that he learned his one-sided love had only been caused by a love spell cast on him by the Qin family. Qin Muyang had never begged anyone in his life. H 476Reads8.0Score—14d adds
- 26 After Bullying a Poor Boy, the Arrogant Young Master Went Bankrupt 欺负穷小子后，嚣张少爷他破产了 My new work is out! You can read it on Tomato Novel. I hope you enjoy it. Your support motivates me to write, and I'll do my best to tell every story well! 408Reads6.9Score—14d adds
- 27 Forced to Become the Big Shot’s Captive Lover 被迫成为大佬的掌中恋人 Three years ago, a beauty sent an anonymous letter exposing the man in order to escape his control. To protect Xiang Zheng’s career, the Xiang family sent him abroad. * Three years later, the eldest young master Xiang returned like a demon, forcibly pulling Shen Qing back into his arms. Shen Qing bit his fist until it bled, sobbing in broken gasps. “Xiang Zheng… what do you have to do… to let me go?” Xiang Zheng bent down, his low, ambiguous voice pouring into Shen Qing’s ear. “Shen Qing, in thi 679Reads5.8Score10314d adds
- 28 I Turned the Rich Young Master Who Bullied Me into My Lifelong Pet 我将霸凌我的富少做成了终身宠物 · Dark aesthetics, revenge and tragic romance, evenly matched opponents. · Captivity and redemption, shifting power, twisted interdependence! “When the hunt lasts a lifetime, hunter and prey become indistinguishable.” Back in school, Lin Chen tore up my drawings and made me crawl in front of the whole school. He smiled and said, “For the rest of your life, you’ll only ever be my ~.” Years later, his family went bankrupt, and he knelt at my feet, begging for help. I gently stroked his face. “Reme 73Reads8.0Score17014d adds
- 29 Get on Your Knees and Beg for Director Lu to Discipline You 下跪磕头等陆总管教 My new work is here! You can read it on Fanqie Novel. I hope you'll enjoy it. Your support inspires me to write, and I'll do my best to tell every story well! 196Reads6.1Score—14d adds
- 30 The Distant Stars Fall Silent 远星永寂 [Two male leads + both their first love + tragic ending + imprisonment + mild coercion] Shen Nanyuan lived under his father's possessive love, with death as its shackles, and had never known what it meant to be loved. Only after meeting Luo Chenxing at the hospital, whose eyes shone like starlight, did their two lonely hearts finally find a moment of comfort in each other. As his love surged, Shen Nanyuan repeated his father's possessiveness, imprisoning Luo Chenxing when he tried to escape. He 13Reads—Score114d adds
- 31 At Last, I Don't Love You Anymore 终于不再爱你 “In this life, fate has been cruel. After all the twists and turns, I’m left with no one to love but myself.” For the past twenty years, Jian Yu had stubbornly loved a man with all her heart, through tears and anguish. After twenty fleeting years, one day, she finally let go. Xing Qingfeng finally understood that when someone’s heart truly dies, they can abandon everything and leave without looking back, never to appear again. 40Reads8.8Score—14d adds
- 32 Your Heart Says, I Love You 你的心在说我爱你 Your heart is saying, “I love you.” 116Reads—Score—14d adds
- 33 After He Broke Her Body and Heart, President Gu Gets His Comeuppance 虐身虐心后，顾总火葬场了 Shen Zhao loves Gu Chengyuan with all his heart. He never expects Gu Chengyuan to love him just as much. All he wants is a quiet, peaceful life. Even when he is misunderstood and hurt, he cannot forget the boy who once smiled at him. But when Gu Chengyuan destroys his father’s company, gets engaged to someone else right in front of him, and even punishes him with his mother’s life, Shen Zhao can no longer love him. In the end, he smiles and says, “Chengyuan, life should be as it was when we firs 423Reads—Score—14d adds
- 34 Warning! The Stand-In Doesn't Love Him Anymore 警告！是替身不爱了 [Dual male leads + wealthy-family CEO + contract lover + older man/younger man + substitute + groveling to win back the lover + angst] [Light angst] [Light melodrama] [Groveling to win back the lover, with a tragic ending in the literal sense] Love rises with the wind, and it can also scatter with the wind. Wan Jincheng thought he would never leave, until Mo Yunle said, “Let's break up.” Now Wan Jincheng is panicking. Six years ago. They stood on the stone bridge in Fenghuang Ancient Town. The t 40Reads—Score—14d adds
- 35 The Humble Lover 卑微情人 [Complete] Forced to become a man’s secret lover because his identity was too shameful to acknowledge. Shan Mo never knew there could be a future worth looking forward to. Jiang Chongzhou rescued him from a wolf’s den, and only then did he begin to hope, wide-eyed, that things might get better. In the end, the person he trusted most shattered him completely. Later, Jiang Chongzhou spent three sleepless days caring for him in the hospital, waiting for him to get through the critical period. The m 4.1kReads8.0Score41014d adds
- 36 I'll Chase My Own Wife 自己媳妇自己追 The arrogant heir of Prince Qin Xiang, Xiao Qi, had fallen for a fool with the mind of a ten-year-old. The news sent the aristocrats of the capital into an uproar. Though foolish and slow-witted, the girl had a beautiful face. Only on closer inspection did people realize how much she resembled Xiao Qi’s deceased first love. Unless you looked closely, it was hard to tell them apart. Xiao Qi disregarded the prestige of Lanling and insisted on keeping the fool by his side. She relied on him and tru 236Reads—Score—14d adds
- 37 The Debt Is Paid. I Owe You Nothing Now 债期已满，我不欠你了 [Two male leads × tragic romance × bad ending] “A-Ming, don’t hate me. The debt is paid. I don’t owe you anymore...” That was the last thing Huo Youming heard Qing Ziyin say. He still remembered what he looked like as he spoke. His breathing was so faint he seemed about to drift away, yet he still reached out to wipe Huo Youming’s tears. The moment his fingertips touched Huo Youming’s face, his hand fell. Huo Youming had once been insane. He had gripped Qing Ziyin’s wrist and said, “My mother ga 127Reads—Score—14d adds
- 38 So You Really Thought You Were Loved 还真以为被爱了 Song Qing needed money, and Lu Boyan was generous with his. Song Qing knew he shouldn't fall for him, but before he knew it, his heart had been stirred. He was the one who crossed the line. What wasn't his could never belong to him. Physical attraction and love weren't the same thing. For Song Qing, the stupidest thing he had ever done was fall in love with someone he shouldn't have, but he had never regretted it. Lu Boyan admitted that Song Qing's arrival had indeed brought a touch of color to 25Reads—Score—14d adds
- 39 Forced Love Still Counts as Love 强制爱也算爱 If he couldn’t have him, he’d keep him locked by his side forever. Chen Yu fell in love with Ji Yubai at first sight. After every attempt to win him over failed, he resorted to threats and enticements to bring him home. A classic “he pursues, he runs, but he can’t escape” and “forced love” story. If the normal approach doesn’t work, then force it. How is forced love not love? [Cool beauty bottom × obsessive, hot-tempered top] The top is aloof and irritable around everyone else, but completely de 1.2kReads8.2Score14114d adds
- 40 A Puppy's Daily Life 小狗的日常纪事 [Master] [Discipline] A depressed, lowly bottom vs. a controlling, obsessive top. Their contract begins with cold submission, while their games of discipline conceal a possessive streak. When a family-arranged marriage forces them apart, he breaks down and takes his own life. Rescued, Song Yuning has no idea that Duan Jinchuan's need for control has long since become a tender form of salvation. The shackles of power fall away, leaving only the warmth of their mutual devotion to thaw two lonely h 46Reads—Score—14d adds
- 41 My Bed Slave Is the Emperor....... 我的暖床奴是皇帝....... My Bedwarmer Is the Emperor… 394Reads—Score—14d adds
- 42 Imprisoned: The Lingering Hatred That Eats at My Bones 囚禁：蚀骨余恨 Imprisoned: The Lingering Pain That Eats Away at the Bones 122Reads—Score414d adds
- 43 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 3.3kReads8.6Score24814d adds
- 44 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 2.5kReads8.2Score21614d adds
- 45 Humiliate the Deposed Emperor: The Mad Emperor's Prisoner of Love 折辱废帝，疯批帝王的掌心囚奴 Two male leads + unwavering devotion + locked-room confinement + obsession + coercive possession + heart-wrenching and brutal Ruthless, heaven-favored emperor gong × proud, patient, lowly deposed emperor shou Once the supreme ruler, he was captured when his country fell overnight. Xiao Heng fell into the dust, becoming a plaything in the palm of the powerful Qi Wuhui. He was fierce, aloof, and would rather die than submit, but none of that could withstand the other man's overwhelming power and m 444Reads7.0Score—14d adds
- 46 So He Decided to Die 于是他决定去死 He smashed an ashtray into his forehead, and with it began the bloody chapter of their lives together. Gu Chengye had always gotten everything he wanted, until he met Chen Chi. The quiet boy looked at him without fear, only cold hatred. That look fascinated him. So he took, imprisoned, and destroyed, using the methods he knew best in an attempt to turn Chen Chi into an obedient possession. He thought it was control. Conquest. He was wrong. Chen Chi was a silent flame. Unable to burn through the 2.6kReads8.4Score24914d adds
- 47 Heaven, Please Give Me a Way Out 请上天给我生路 At seventeen, my mother sold me to Northern Myanmar for 400 yuan... I picked up a fruit knife and slashed my wrist. The blade was ice-cold, just like my heart. As I slipped toward unconsciousness, someone picked me up. Warm liquid dripped onto my face, and I heard a familiar voice speak beside me, at once near and far: “Since you’re in so much pain, I won’t save you...” Angst be 125Reads—Score—14d adds
- 48 The Disgraced Consort of the Cold Palace 冷宫废妃 Gu Lanting once hoped more than anything that Gao Yang would ascend the throne and save him from his living hell. But after Gao Yang became emperor, the first thing he said to him was, "You're a slut anyone can have. Just thinking of how you acted like a wanton in front of my father makes me sick!" And so the nightmare began. Gao Yang took his revenge on him with merciless cruelty, and could no longer be his salvation. When Gu Lanting, utterly hopeless, chose to leave, Gao Yang finally realized 798Reads8.0Score10314d adds
- 49 He Loved Me When He Was Nineteen 他早在十九岁爱过我 [No Weak Bottom + Quiet Angst + Ensemble Cast, Bad Ending + Not Too Angsty + Understated Family Bonds] Dr. Wen went into medicine for his wife, but still couldn’t save her. Lin Yijing watched the person he loved smash through his ribs and grind a blunt instrument through his heart. Yi Pinglan spent decades keeping watch at his beloved’s grave. “My love, he loved me when he was nineteen.” Shen Qingci stood beneath a clear blue sky, wrapped in a warm, gentle breeze, smiling as he resolutely wen 29Reads—Score—14d adds
- 50 After the Breakup, I Chased My Ex 分手后我倒追前男友 The rating just came out!! It’s going up!!! If you like it, give it a read!!! [Two male leads + school life + broken up and reunited + healing + devoted to each other + happy ending + friendship and family] Jiang Zihuai never imagined that a fake courtship, begun as a prank, would leave him hopelessly in love. He approached Shen Zhinian with teasing intentions, using his ardent advances to break through that icy exterior. But just as Shen began to trust him with his heart, the cruel truth came 6.4kReads8.5Score71214d adds
