Novels like The Bitter Fruit of a Secret Crush
Books Chinese readers most often put in the same booklists as The Bitter Fruit of a Secret Crush, best match first.
- 1 It Was All Part of His Plan: The Cunning Tycoon Successfully Tricked Her into Marriage 蓄谋已久，腹黑大佬他骗婚成功了 [Marriage first, love later + devoted love + gentle, steady romance + secret crush + older man + sweet romance] Tang Tian failed the civil service exam for two years in a row and decided to return to her hometown. Her uncle had no choice but to ask his boss to arrange a job interview for her. Unexpectedly, the big shot interviewed her for the position of his wife. Did the big shot wander into the wrong interview? The big shot: A monthly salary of 100,000, five forms of social insurance and a 5.4kReads7.5Score82414d adds
- 2 I Secretly Married the Man I Hadn’t Seen in Seven Years 和七年未见的他闪婚了 During a livestream of the intangible cultural heritage exhibition, a million viewers are waiting to watch Zhaoying Pavilion go down over the word “plagiarism.” Wen Zhaotang points out the swapped fake phoenix crown on the spot. While it burns, she forms a phoenix feather out of gold thread with her bare hands. In the dead silence, a man walks through the crowd and places evidence sealed by a third party in her hand. The whole internet spends the night trying to figure out who he is. Only Wen 5Reads—Score—14d adds
- 3 Dawn, Dawn 晨曦，晨曦 Zhou Chenxi knows better than anyone that her unrequited love was doomed to end without ever beginning. Every week, she’s used to holding her breath and stealing glances at him from across the crowd, then walking in the same direction as him for a little while before ducking behind a wall in a panic when he turns the corner. Until one day, she watches him walk away and doesn’t follow. She turns around and leaves the world he’s part of behind… 4Reads—Score—14d adds
- 4 The Tenth Year of Secretly Loving You 暗恋你的第十年 Also known as: I Married in a Flash After Meeting a Weirdo, The Perfect Match for a Whirlwind Marriage A slice-of-life story, with no domineering CEO or sudden corporate takeovers. Liu Ye listened to her mother and went on a blind date with a man her aunt had picked out, supposedly after “carefully choosing the very best.” The man’s first words were, “After we get married, you’ll quit your job.” His second: “We’ll have two kids in three years, and at least one has to be a boy.” His third: “The h —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 5 Love at Seventeen Never Fades 十七岁的爱意永不消散 [A long-planned encounter + pure love + the male lead has a secret crush on the female lead] In the autumn of her seventeenth year, Ye Litong transferred to Beicheng No. 7 Middle School. She thought it was her first time meeting Jiang Jinyu, unaware that he had known her for a long time and had spent the past year often drawing motivation from her, with eyes for no one but her... [Levelheaded, steady student council president ✘ literature-loving, gentle class representative] A pure-love story se 4Reads—Score—14d adds
- 6 A Secret Sweet as Honey in the Fields 思藏田蜜 [Transmigrate into a book + reborn + sweet campus romance + career comeback + strong female lead + gentle second male lead takes center stage] In her previous life, she trusted the wrong man and fell headfirst into a trap disguised as tenderness. For love, she gave up her education and sacrificed herself, enduring until she was covered in scars. Then, in an instant, she was reborn and sent straight back ten years. He was a gentle, refined young man in the eyes of the world, but with her alone, h 1Reads—Score—14d adds
- 7 Come On, Don't Turn Me Down 别拒绝我嘛 A poised, sunny heroine x a rebellious, guiding hero School life + the entertainment industry | Ages 17 to 24 | Mutual secret crushes On a spring day when they were seventeen, Yu Zh le and Ling Shinian meet at Yigui No. 1 High School. When the image-conscious Yu Zh le, with her hair in a bun, meets the rebellious Ling Shinian, sporting an apple-shaped haircut, what kind of sparks will fly between these young hearts? Heavy schoolwork and the constraints of family wrap their youth in a hard shell, 2Reads—Score—14d adds
- 8 Big Sister Wants You to Be Good 姐姐要乖乖呦 Twelve years apart, a college graduate just starting her career and a gaming prodigy still in school, Shi Yu and Lu Zhengyang first connect through the game Game for Peace, then accompany one another as they grow. When Shi Yu loses hope in her job and finds life disappointing, Lu Zhengyang plays games with her and helps her find hope again. Shi Yu often reminds Lu Zhengyang to study hard and not get into a relationship too young. She never realizes that he has secretly loved her for years. When 1Reads—Score—14d adds
- 9 Young Master, the Cousin's Daughter Has Strayed Again 少爷，表姑娘又红杏出墙了 Young Master, the Cousin Miss Has Strayed Again 1.4kReads—Score1514d adds
- 10 Skin Hunger Syndrome: The School Beauty Is Clingy and All Sweet Talk 渴肤症：校花她又茶又黏人 [Romance and Everyday Life + Cohabitation + Campus + Pure Sweetness + Skin Hunger Syndrome] Lin Qingxun is the golden boy in everyone’s eyes: a math genius with a cool disposition who seems interested in nothing beyond mathematical research, until Sang Yun appears. The sensible girl who once boarded at his home returns to his life and hands him a diagnosis confirming her skin hunger syndrome. Taking care of his little sister because she’s ill sounds like a perfectly noble excuse, but Lin Qingxun 238Reads—Score19014d adds
- 11 Do I Have a Crush on Him? 暗恋他，吗？ 1v1, mutual crush, youthful innocence “Shen, I really, really like you, even though you don't know me 🥺”, Ye Qingling “...Who? Who doesn't know you? Are you sure you're talking about me, Shen? 😊”, Shen Yan “Shen, a secret crush is a one-person whirlwind of chaos... 😭”, Ye Qingling “Ye, are you really secretly in love with me? 🤔 Then could you open the door? I can't get in at all 🥺”, Shen Yan 3Reads—Score—14d adds
- 12 After Moving in with My Secret Crush, He Dropped His Act 和暗恋对象同居后，他崩人设了 [One-on-One, Mutual Devotion, Secret Crush Comes True, Both Make Their Way to Each Other] [Children’s Book Editor × Rising Star in Tech] [We agreed this was just a contract cohabitation, so why are you getting so close to me?] In high school, Jiang Shuyi had a crush on Pei Xunli, but even by the time he graduated, she hadn’t managed to introduce herself to him. Years later, the secret crush she’d had as a teenager had long since been snuffed out by life’s daily grind. At twenty-five, they met ag 3.6kReads8.3Score61014d adds
- 13 Every Year, I Meet You Beneath the Gardenia 岁岁逢栀 |Traditional perfumer × devoted English teacher|Secret crush comes true|Second chance at love|You make the perfumes, I’ll translate the world for you| How would you describe Shen Qinghan’s secret crush? Like a gentle rain that nourishes everything without a sound, falling quietly into the heart without disturbing anyone. During all his years studying in Britain, he never imagined he would meet Miss Gardenia again after returning home: Xia Zhi. She makes perfume, and he translates. She charges ah 8Reads—Score—14d adds
- 14 Hidden Moonlight 匿月光 [Her Secret Crush Comes True + He Pursues Her + Campus Romance + Only Each Other + Healing] [Sweet, seemingly well-behaved girl with a dark side × Easygoing, cocky guy with solid values] In middle school, her best friend became her bully. From then on, Qiu Bei's heart died, and she shut out anyone who might hurt her. But an unexpected encounter still happened: someone appeared who drew her in, even as she feared getting too attached. Li Qixu said, “I’ll help you win.” His undisguised confidenc 364Reads8.2Score12214d adds
- 15 Scorched Lotus 焦荷 [A shy, sensitive stutterer in the early chapters who becomes a warm and resilient screenwriter × a distant, aloof top-tier star who later turns devoted and clingy] [Both inexperienced in love / Secret crush comes true / Utmost devotion / Sweet romance in the entertainment industry] How long is ten years? Long enough for an entire girlhood to be filled with one person’s name. Everyone knows that top-tier star Wei Xing is cold and distant, an untouchable beauty in the entertainment industry. But 1.1kReads8.5Score23614d adds
- 16 She Loved Young Master Shen for Ten Years, Then Ran Away! 喜欢沈少十年，她跑了！ 84Reads6.4Score—14d adds
- 17 May You Find Peace and Happiness 许君安好 Maybe one person becomes special to another because they appear at a one-of-a-kind moment in their life. No matter who comes along afterward, no one else can ever take their place. —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 18 Tempt Him, Indulge Her 诱他，纵容她 Cocky, bad-boy charmer & Cool, aloof beauty Secret crush comes true + Mutual devotion Everyone who knows Shi Nan knows that, despite her stunning looks, she’s cool and quiet, and seems to have a bit of OCD. She plans out every stage of her life in advance. The only two things in Shi Nan’s life that weren’t part of her plans both had to do with the same person. First, she had a secret crush on her teacher’s nephew for six years, and ended up loving him for a lifetime. Second, she had his name tat 122Reads8.4Score—14d adds
- 19 She Hid Away the Whole Summer 她藏起了整个盛夏 [Cool, aloof campus heartthrob x timid younger schoolmate | aloof at first, clingy later | he only acts cute around her | secret crush comes true] Both virgins, happy ending At sixteen, Yun Nian'an used her camera to secretly preserve an entire summer, along with the boy named Wen Xuyang. He was the golden boy in everyone's eyes, while she was the least noticeable among all the people who liked him. She thought this grand, silent crush would be sealed away forever with her youth. Until years 371Reads—Score10714d adds
- 20 He Made the Years Gentle 他温柔了岁月 A self-conscious girl meets a warmhearted boy, and her dark world suddenly brightens. A teenage crush is like lemonade sweetened with honey: not too sugary, and sometimes a little sour. Friendship, meanwhile, is a celebration among kindred spirits. Over those three years, they laughed, fooled around, and cried. After that one argument, they thought they would make up and go back to the way things were, but in the end, they went their separate ways. For the next seven years, none of them kept in 5Reads8.1Score—14d adds
- 21 The Phoenix’s Path to Wealth: Reborn to Become the Richest in the Land 凰权财路：重生后我富甲天下 My new work is out! You’re welcome to read it on Tomato Novel. I hope you’ll enjoy it. Your support is what motivates me to write, and I’ll do my best to tell every story well! —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 22 The Hidden Moonlight 藏匿的月光 Secret Crush Comes True × Rekindled Love × Mutual Devotion Everyone meets two people in life: one who crashes into their youth, and another who walks beside them through life. Su Yufan often thought that Mu Qiyuan was the one who had crashed into her youth. She had loved him in secret for thirteen years, from their first meeting to their reunion, hiding her feelings with the utmost care. But when someone else entered his life, she finally understood: when you truly love someone, you can't just b 199Reads—Score—14d adds
- 23 The Time You Lit Up 被你照亮的时光 [Face-blind top student x socially anxious girl] [Sweet campus romance] [Secret crush becomes mutual] [Rekindled love] Once, Gu Cheng was an unreachable star to Shen Xiyou. He was not only her ideal, but also the hope of the school and the nation. Sadly, because he was face-blind, he didn't remember her at all. What's more, the straight-A student seemed to have no room for love in his heart. To make sure Gu Cheng would at least remember that she had once been part of his life, the girl who had o 13Reads8.2Score—14d adds
- 24 Stop Running, Captain Gu's Sweetheart 别逃了顾中队的小娇妻 Mu Nanfeng isn’t a voice fan. But during high school military training, she heard a boy’s formation call, “At ease. Attention.” From that moment on, she was captivated. She lost her heart to his voice, and then lost her heart altogether. Unfortunately, the boys and girls trained separately, and when training ended, she still hadn’t found the owner of that voice. Then, in the second week of school, Mu Nanfeng finally heard that voice again. And she finally saw its owner. From then on, she felt he 23Reads—Score—14d adds
- 25 From Dust to the Rest of My Life, I Think Only of Su Nian 从尘埃到余生，只念苏念 [Male POV + one-sided crush + slow-burn romance + devoted male lead] Note: The female lead has an ex-boyfriend. What's it like to have a crush on someone for nine years? It's the black umbrella left unclaimed in seventh grade. It's the wind that never stops blowing through the high school hallway. It's being just one street away at college, yet never managing to reach her. It's seeing her hold someone else's hand in her social media posts, while not even daring to add her as a friend. Then she b 1.8kReads7.3Score11014d adds
- 26 A Grain in the Vast Sea 一栗沧海 [Low score due to too few ratings] [School life + rekindled romance + years of unrequited love finally fulfilled] The story is told from both the heroine's and hero's perspectives. Four-character chapter titles are from the heroine's perspective, while three-character titles are from the hero's. The school-day memories and reunion storyline are divided roughly equally. [Content warnings] 0. This story is entirely fictional and is not based on any real people or events. 1. The story has a realist 1.6kReads8.8Score14214d adds
- 27 Finding Joy in You 以你为乐 [Sensitive, Obsessive Teacher Heroine VS Cold, Slow-to-Warm Undercover Hero] “How bitter. So this is what a kiss tastes like.” “I knew I was the one who liked you, so I did everything I could to get close to you. I could ignore your coldness any number of times, as long as I still liked you.” “By the shore, a boat waits where the water flows; at the riverbank, I long to turn back and cross.” At twenty-six, Lin Luoting unexpectedly met Jiang Shangzhou, the man she'd loved since she was sixteen. T 3Reads—Score—14d adds
- 28 Cream Plum Candy's Secret Crush 奶油话梅糖的暗恋 [A timid, overlooked girl at first ✘ A bold, free-spirited rich boy] [High School Secret Crush + Reunion After Years Apart + A Secret Crush Comes True] In high school, Qin Xiangwan secretly fell for the boy everyone admired, Ji Yuzhou. The plum candy she slipped him was all the courage she could muster. Qin Xiangwan had a crush on Ji Yuzhou for nearly six whole years. Her bittersweet, tender feelings were like the creamy plum candy in her pocket: something she could only savor alone, never dar 744Reads—Score10214d adds
- 29 Good Boy, Just Like Me, Okay? 乖宝，只喜欢我，好不好 [Resilient Sweetheart VS Sly, Aloof Bad Boy] The main story is complete. It opens at university | Both are inexperienced in love | Campus romance | Mutual secret crushes | Sweet romance. Jiang Banxia had a secret tucked away in her heart, one she might never tell anyone. She liked someone who stood in the light. No! He was the light himself. He needed no one else to make him shine. He only had to stand there, and everyone's eyes would be drawn to him. Jiang Banxia had never imagined that she wou 8.8kReads—Score1.4k14d adds
- 30 Love and Morning Light 恋与晨光 Also known as “I Was Reborn After Secretly Loving My Best Friend's Boyfriend” Secret love comes true / not reborn from the start / status gap / class gap / heroine takes the man she wants by force / from campus to city life / he chases her after she leaves / happy ending / both untouched [Kyoto's top heir VS a poor, timid student with an inferiority complex] ◆The powerful man bows his head, the insecure one finds courage Before being reborn One street apart. To the south stood Kyoto's top privat 2.3kReads8.6Score22014d adds
- 31 We Reunited After Seven Years, Only to Learn He Had Secretly Loved Me Too 时隔七年重逢，才知他也曾暗恋我 [Reunited After Years Apart + Mutual Secret Crush + Ensemble Cast Coming-of-Age + Sweet Romance] [Devoted, restrained male lead x Bright, clear-eyed female lead] On the day they reunite, Gu Qiaonan politely says, "Manager Lu, I've heard so much about you." But on his desk, Lu Ning spots the ugly-cute pig cup she made by hand all those years ago. Later, she learns the truth: The numbers on the postcard were song IDs: #0622, "I Like You," and #0983, "Devoted to You." His line, "Lu Ning and I 61Reads—Score—14d adds
- 32 The Cool and Distant Campus Belle Gets Jealous: Why Didn't You Say You Had a Crush on Me? 清冷校花爱吃醋：暗恋我你不早说 [No System, no rebirth, Chinese-style high school, new author and new book] Han Yang has been in love with Sui Tinglan for three years. He's kept it hidden the whole time. From the day they were assigned to new classes in their first year of high school, he knew that the girl quietly reading by the window had been his classmate for all three years of middle school. Back then, he hadn't dared to look at her for long. Now she still sits in front of him, still impossibly far away. He is his fathe 8.9kReads8.7Score1.1k14d adds
- 33 Sinking Deeper with Every Step 步步沉陷 [Marriage First, Love Later + Secret Crush Turns Mutual + Pure Love + Angst Early, Sweetness Later + Happy Ending] [Also known as: Secret Love, Hidden Delight] He was a CEO, she was his secretary, and they were tangled up in a complicated relationship. Because of her sister’s dying wish, they kept their marriage a secret. After they married, he gave her all his tenderness and affection, except for one thing: his love. When her sister was reborn in someone else’s body and returned, she smiled and 93Reads6.1Score—14d adds
- 34 A Crush That’s Lost Its Sensitivity 脱敏暗恋 [High School: Her Secret Crush] [Mutual Pining] [College: He Pursues Her] [Angst Before Sweetness] [Both Each Other's First and Only] [Slow Burn] In high school, Chen Jingxiao was dazzling and unruly, the center of attention. He effortlessly kept his admirers at arm's length. Xiang Yujia was sensitive and reserved. She hid her awkward crush and decided to toughen herself up, staying by his side under the guise of friendship. Until her painfully embarrassing feelings were accidentally exposed. A 11.8kReads8.8Score1.7k14d adds
- 35 A Muyu Knows Xixi 一沐知溪 She was once the quietest spectator behind him, while he was the only leading man in her entire youth. Five years apart, one ridiculous misunderstanding, and an unexpected reunion. Fate has led them round and round. Every wait will eventually be answered. A late-awakening heart will never fail to arrive. For all the years to come, I’ll walk beside you and you alone. 1.3kReads—Score—14d adds
- 36 Bite Him 咬他 8.4kReads8.4Score1.3k14d adds
- 37 The Summer Breeze Brushes the Boy's Face 夏风拂过少年面 [Chinese-Style Campus Life, A Tribute to Youth] [No System] [Not Reborn] [Regrets] [The Curtain Falls on Youth] If every encounter is destined to end in parting, what is the point of meeting? If every encounter leads to farewell, will you regret it? The girl gazing up at the sky shines brighter than the sea of stars. She smiles sweetly. “Lin Shu, you’re the brightest star of all, too.” Just because you can’t forget someone doesn’t mean they’ll ever respond. Summer in Nan’an is still as vibrant a 2.8kReads8.1Score33714d adds
- 38 Fern 蕨草 [Mutual Pining + School Life + Pure Love + Bittersweet + Delicate + Happy Ending + Sweet Romance] Fang Shiyang had always thought that after that summer, she and Meng Qiuwen would never see each other again. It wasn't until they reunited in their hometown that she realized some fates were written in the stars. Meeting again was only a matter of time. The shy awkwardness of being eighteen had kept them from voicing their love. Now, five years later, that love had resurfaced, and they could final 45Reads—Score13714d adds
- 39 To Tempt His White Moonlight, Has He Gone Too Far? 为引诱白月光，他是否过分招摇？ ♥️[Crush turns into love + second chance romance + sweet romance + mutually devoted 1v1 + light ensemble cast]♥️ [Good girl x bad-boy golden retriever] Chen Muyao was an untouchable flower on a high peak: unconventional and carefree, stunningly beautiful, born into a prominent family, and always up for a good time. He acted like life was one big game, and there was never a shortage of people around him. Year after year, Xu Zhiyu followed him with her eyes. She wanted to see for herself the “meet 15Reads—Score314d adds
- 40 Congratulations, Your Secret Crush Is Over 恭喜，你的暗恋结束了 Congratulations, your unrequited love is over. 5Reads—Score—14d adds
- 41 That April Fool’s Day Message: We Missed Each Other for Ten Years 愚人节那条消息，我们错过了十年 We missed that April Fools' Day message by ten years. 8Reads—Score—14d adds
- 42 She's Just Too Cute! 她过分可爱！ The comic adaptation of the same name is now available. [Mutual Firsts, 1v1 + Bickering Frenemies + Hilarious Feuding Rivals + No Angst + Sweet Youthful Romance + Three-Year Age Gap, Everyone’s Favorite!!!] One skiing accident, and she pulled down a handsome stranger’s pants, beginning a disastrous entanglement. At an Alpine ski resort, she lost control and grabbed a lucky stranger to brake. When she looked up, she realized she’d yanked the pants off a top-tier hunk! His black underwear was on 6.7kReads7.5Score66814d adds
- 43 Lend Me Your Warm Voice 予我暖音 Careful, unassuming girl x quietly falling for her [sweet romance + a little angst later to bring them closer + growth + wholehearted devotion] Song Wanyin first met Xie Binhe at her father's funeral. The boy casually picked a flower and gave it to her. When they met again, she temporarily moved in with his family because of a problem with her school enrollment. As they spent more and more time together, she understood what it meant to fall for someone after the college entrance exams. To avoid 89Reads6.9Score—14d adds
- 44 Synchronized Heartbeats Along the Star Track 星轨旁的同步心跳 [Classic introvert Yan Mu VS gentle top student Lu Zeyu] [Two top students|youthful campus romance|secret love|love at first sight|light ensemble cast] Yan Mu’s youth holds a secret she never dared to confess. She fell for Lu Zeyu, the school’s most admired boy, at first sight when they met in their first year of high school. From then on, she tucked her feelings away among the constellations and evening breezes. Reserved and quiet, she could only keep her distance and suppress every flutter of 10Reads—Score—14d adds
- 45 President Lu Has Secretly Loved You for Years, and the Sweetness Is Skyrocketing 陆总暗恋你多年，甜度疯涨 (Mutual crushes + sweet romance + both leads’ first love + extra sweet) One exam, one glance, a love that lasted a lifetime. Ye Yixing’s gaze followed that boy, and so did her entire youth. After graduating from college, she went alone to the city where he lived. For two years, she wandered its streets and alleys, hoping to run into him just once. But when they meet again, he’s the impeccably dressed Mr. Lu, while she’s just an insignificant office worker. When she hears he already has someon 119Reads—Score—14d adds
- 46 Wild Love and Clamor 恋野喧嚣 [Stubborn, sweet medical student x roguishly handsome, aloof badminton champion] [Secret crush comes true / faux playboy redemption / sweet pursuit of his wife / university romance / devoted to each other] One summer when she was sixteen, Lin Tingwan met a boy. His family background was mysterious. With a face like a masterpiece of character design, he swept the badminton title at the Youth Games, then soon after transferring schools, claimed the top spot in his year. He was like a dazzling beam 4kReads8.7Score81914d adds
- 47 Reborn, My White Moonlight Has Lost Its Glow 重生后，白月光他黯淡无光 Reborn genius heroine finds her own path | Top student hero's secret crush comes true | Second male lead regrets everything too late A gentle, slow-burn sweet romance “Lin Yao, let's break up.” After dying in a car crash, Shen Zhao is reborn in her second year of high school. In her previous life, she was the undisputed queen of the humanities, yet lived like an invisible nobody in her class. Not a soul knew she'd secretly loved someone for ten years. But the boy she'd admired from afar was noth 971Reads8.1Score14114d adds
- 48 A Jinx’s Survival Guide to a Secret Crush 倒霉蛋的暗恋生存守则 [No rebirth, no System, youthful unrequited love, everyday school life, light comedy, no harem, rich ensemble cast] [A slow burn! The rating just went up, and it’ll rise as the story continues.] Question: How can a good-for-nothing, chuunibyou, shut-in with a crush and terrible luck survive school? Answer: You can’t be helped. Euthanasia is recommended. But Ma Shaming doesn’t want to die. So he sets three rules for himself: 1. Don’t confess. 2. Don’t make the first move. 3. Make absolutely sur 873Reads8.1Score10814d adds
- 49 You Came to Me on a Ray of Light 你踏光而来 As the saying goes, every fat girl is a diamond in the rough. Never underestimate a chubby girl, because she may transform into a beauty one day and win the heart of everyone's dream guy. A sweet, innocent chubby girl versus a cool, aloof heartthrob. A youthful, secret-crush romance with both leads inexperienced and sweetness without end. 46Reads7.0Score—14d adds
- 50 Kapok’s Confession 木棉的告白 [A crush becomes mutual + a little bittersweet at first + incredibly sweet later] [Gentle on the outside, strong-willed and resilient like sunshine ✘ arrogant big shot who says one thing but means another] Zhou Sh Shui spent her entire youth quietly loving Chi Che, the golden boy everyone admired. She was the stranger closest to him, keeping clear boundaries and never crossing them by so much as a fraction. On the night Chi Che was confessed to by Peking University's campus belle, she set down h 21.6kReads9.1Score3.9k14d adds
