Novels like Childhood Sweethearts, Defeated by Reality
Books Chinese readers most often put in the same booklists as Childhood Sweethearts, Defeated by Reality, best match first.
- 1 He Came from the Starlight 他从星光来 Calculating superpowered upperclassman VS strong, well-behaved rich girl [wife-chasing crematorium + second male lead wins + beautiful but tragic + imaginative premise + mutual healing + youth and school life] A fading secret crush ends without a future. Chu Xingyan’s youthful feelings are torn apart again and again by the light she once admired, the brilliant and untouchable Lu Cibai. He is cold: “Chu Xingyan, I’m not the one who changed. You’ve always been spoiled and never learned how to grow —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 2 The Day My Ex-Husband Showed Up with His Mistress to Throw Me Out, I Became His Boss 前夫带小三逼宫那天,我刚好成了他顶头上司 The day my ex-husband brought his mistress to confront me, I just happened to become his direct superior. 1Reads—Score—14d adds
- 3 I Miscarried and Was Convalescing, While My Mother-in-Law Danced at the Plaza Every Day and My Husband Called Me a Drama Queen 我流产坐小月子,婆婆天天跳广场舞,老公骂我太娇气 While I was recovering from a miscarriage, my mother-in-law went square dancing every day, and my husband called me too delicate. 4Reads—Score—14d adds
- 4 I Saved 280,000 Yuan in Three Years for My In-Laws, but When My Mom Was Hospitalized, He Just Said to Make Do 三年攒了二十八万孝顺公婆,我妈住院他只说先凑合 I spent three years saving 280,000 yuan to support my in-laws. When my mom was hospitalized, all he said was, “Just make do for now.” 1Reads—Score—14d adds
- 5 I Found Out My Husband Had His Female Coworker Saved as “Baby,” So I Sent Him to Africa 发现老公给女同事备注“小宝贝”,我把他调去了非洲 I found out my husband had saved a female colleague in his contacts as “Baby,” so I transferred him to Africa. 2Reads—Score—14d adds
- 6 During Our 30-Day Divorce Cooling-Off Period, He Was Busy Living with His New Love and Showing Off, While I Was Busy Moving Our Assets 离婚冷静期30天,他忙着同居秀恩爱,我忙着转移财产 During our 30-day divorce cooling-off period, he was busy showing off his happy life with his live-in girlfriend, while I was busy moving the assets. 1Reads—Score—14d adds
- 7 What?! My Business Nemesis Is My Child's Biological Father 惊!商业死对头竟是我娃的亲爹 [Two equally matched rivals + marriage of convenience + pregnancy and flight + groveling pursuit + adorable child as matchmaker] “He once thought love was a weakness, until he met her, the ruthless woman who stole his genes and then lied that she’d used a sperm bank.” Five years after our divorce, I’m holding my son’s hand at the awards ceremony of the Paris International Jewelry Design Competition when I run into my archenemy. I smile elegantly. “Excuse me, Mr. Lu.” He stares at my son, who loo 13Reads—Score—14d adds
- 8 After the Substitute Bride, Lord Fu's Cold Facade Crumbles 替嫁后,冷面傅爷人设崩了 [Powerful CEO of a wealthy family + chasing his wife to the crematorium + married first, love later + secret identities + identities exposed + face-slapping + feel-good read + equally matched leads] Also known as The Substitute Bride Is Gorgeous and Fierce and Mr. Fu, Your Wife Has 108 Secret Identities On the night I became his substitute bride, the devil incarnate gripped my chin and warned me, “Remember, you’re just a tool.” I lowered my head, feigned tears, and obediently played the country —Reads7.2Score—14d adds
- 9 Mr. Lin, That Baby Looks Just Like You 林总,那崽崽像你 Clear-Headed, Resilient Beauty × Decisive, Ruthless Big Shot Sharp Tongues and Stubborn Hearts | His Long Road to Winning Her Back | Both Leads Are Inexperienced Not long after Lu Yunqi’s marriage in name only ended with her husband’s death, her mother-in-law sent her to the bed of Lin Siheng, a powerful business tycoon. Lin Siheng was also her late husband’s cousin. After falling into his arms night after night, she thought he must feel something for her. Then, by chance, Lu Yunqi heard wh 1.2kReads6.8Score10014d adds
- 10 I Can See How Much She Loves Me 我能看见她爱我的余额 I Can See the Balance of Her Love for Me 13Reads—Score—14d adds
- 11 We Broke Up Before Registering Our Marriage. Goodbye, My Love 领证前分手,再见我的爱人 These are two novels about breakups before the marriage license is signed. First novel: “When You Were Kidnapped, All You Cared About Was Your First Love. Why Come Looking for Me After I Left?” Because of her grandfather’s dying wish, Leng Ruyue and Li Han got engaged. Li Han knew Leng Ruyue didn’t love him romantically. Leng Ruyue didn’t know that Li Han had been devoted to her for years, waiting for her feelings to bloom. Four years by her side finally made Leng Ruyue fall for him. But no one 750Reads—Score—14d adds
- 12 After One Letter of Farewell, the Aloof Heir Stormed Through Imperial Power to Marry Me 一纸诀别,清冷世子踏破皇权来娶我 One Farewell Letter, and the Aloof Heir Defies the Imperial Throne to Marry Me 117Reads—Score—14d adds
- 13 Quick Transmigration: The Female Supporting Character Loves a Good Groveling Arc 快穿:女配酷爱火葬场 The low rating is only because there aren’t enough reviews. [Heroine with Mild Emotional Blindness / Emotional Detachment + Groveling Chase That Goes Nowhere + Male Rivals Compete + Love Polygon] The heroine is an ordinary girl. In some worlds, she goes from universally disliked to universally adored. (The male leads and supporting male characters don’t fall for her right away; some are already in love with someone else. They take time to fall for her, and there’s a little angst.) No fixed pairi 3.2kReads8.7Score26314d adds
- 14 Two Years Alone After Getting Our Marriage License, I Came Back to Divorce Him 领证后独守空房两年,归来就离婚 [Both the hero and heroine are rather slow to recognize their feelings] [Both are devoted to one partner] [Both are strong] [The hero must win back his wife] [Reunited after a breakup] Because of a marriage promise made by their elders, the two each with their own agenda went and got legally married. Qin Wan only wanted to have a child while her grandmother was still alive and fulfill her wish. Who could have known that the day after they got their marriage certificate, her husband in name only 1.1kReads—Score—14d adds
- 15 After the Divorce, the Stand-In Wife Goes on a Rampage 离婚后,替身太太杀疯了 [Modern wealthy-family angst]+ [The ex regrets it too late]+ [A career comeback led by a strong female lead]+ [Sweet romance with the second male lead]+ [The beloved first love faces payback]+ [The male lead’s lifelong regret] Shen Zhiyi loved Fu Chenzhou for three years. She wore white dresses for him, grew her hair long, and gave up her dream of becoming a designer, content to be a quiet, understanding Mrs. Fu. It wasn’t until his beloved first love returned from abroad that she learned she ha 41Reads—Score11314d adds
- 16 Marrying My Ex 嫁前任 To save my two-year-old baby, who had leukemia, I begged my ex-husband to have another child with me. To my surprise, he told me he wasn’t Xiaobao’s biological father. It turned out that, for the sake of a plot of land, he had once handed me over to someone else... I begged my ex-husband to tell me who Xiaobao’s biological father was, only to discover that it was my first love, the man I had once dumped. For Xiaobao’s sake, I went to great lengths to get close to him. Only later did I realize th 833Reads9.1Score10414d adds
- 17 So What If I'm Flirtatious and Coy? The Targets I Pursue Like... 我又茶又媚怎么了?攻略对象喜欢 [The male lead is a rough, seasoned soldier] [The heroine is a master manipulator, an innocent-looking schemer] [Both virgins, both strong, heroine is stronger] [Fifteen-year age gap, an older man eating tender grass] [Daddy-type boyfriend] On his way to register their marriage, Ling Yunfeng received a phone call: Jiang Nian had been brutally beaten, was being resuscitated in the hospital, and was on the verge of death. Innocent Jiang Nian was dragged into Ling Yunfeng’s world, where she was hur 704Reads—Score—14d adds
- 18 This CEO Deserves to Suffer: 20 Epic Chases to Win Her Back 这届总裁真该虐:20场骨灰级追妻 [The husband-chasing crematorium + substitute + first love + domineering CEO + painful romance + reborn + marriage and love + face-slapping] I spent years by Zhong Ruokuang’s side. Our relationship went from boss and employee to lovers in bed, but I never had a proper title. I asked, “Why did you choose to be with me?” He gave me that perfunctory smile again. “Because you’re obedient.” Then I was attacked online, while he was busy spending Christmas with his childhood sweetheart, the one he’d al 195Reads8.4Score—14d adds
- 19 A Deadly Game: If You Want Me Dead, Then Let's Fall Together 生死局,让我去死,那就一起堕落 [Adapted from a novel I love. The story will go wherever I want it to!] [Both leads are each other’s only one] A domineering, arrogant jerk who likes forcing people into love; a cool, stubborn, unhinged woman who refuses to be controlled. Neither is a good person. They’re both masters of talking tough and hurting each other. At first, the heroine has no one to rely on, and the hero schemes against her until she’s left with nothing. Later, she returns in triumph, proving that the so-called favore 369Reads5.6Score—14d adds
- 20 I Won't Chase After Him or Debase Myself: To Hell With Your White Moonlight 不倒贴不犯贱,我去你丫的白月光 [Both leads are each other’s first and only] [Heroine: She never throws herself at a man or debases herself; her heart is harder than iron] [Hero: A misunderstanding leads him to desperately chase his wife]] [Male lead gets put through the wringer] Yin Muxue’s motto on love: When I like you, I can follow you without hesitation. But I won’t debase myself, compete with other women, or go back to an ex. Because of a promise she made as a child, Yin Muxue chose to attend the same university as Chu R 119Reads—Score—14d adds
- 21 Tell Him, “I Only See You as a Little Sister,” and Make Him Suffer! 一句我只把你当妹妹,虐死他! Volume 1: “I Only See You as a Little Sister”: He'll Suffer for It! [Both virgins] [Rekindled love] [Unhinged, unstable heroine] [A little melodramatic] [Hero: hides his love] Lu Chen: She runs, he chases. She can't get away even if she grows wings. Lu Simi: Which one of us is the prey? Volume 2: The Missing Lover [Both virgins] [Angsty romance] [Tragic ending] He fell in love with her at first sight and promised to marry her after she graduated. But instead of waiting for her, he watched her g 243Reads—Score—14d adds
- 22 A Piece of Cake, Even Running the Gangsters 古惑仔扛把子什么的,拿捏 [Inspired by the setting and characters of the Young and Dangerous movies. This is a fictional story! It may be a little absurd, so just have fun reading and don't take it too seriously!] [Strong Female Lead] [Male Lead Is Not Chaste] [The Heroine Has Been Kissed and Hugged by Others] [Twelve-Year Age Gap] Jiang Tiansheng, head of the Hongxing Society, brings home a strange woman, setting off a storm of bloodshed and chaos. She is highly intelligent and well educated, yet swears like a sailor an 504Reads—Score—14d adds
- 23 The General’s Wife Is No Damsel 将军夫人不安分 [Devoted husband + possessive + domineering + sweet and heartbreaking + understanding confidante] [A heroine who is sometimes gentle and graceful, sometimes imperious × a domineering, devoted, and obsessive hero] The Shen family estate is ransacked by bandits, leaving the family destitute. Shen Xinyu brings her family's ancestral incense-making skills to seek refuge with her cousin Ning Zhenyuan at the Duke's estate. Everyone laughs at her, calling her a fallen merchant's daughter who clings to 112Reads—Score—14d adds
- 24 Caged Gardenia Beneath the Ashen Moon 烬月囚栀 Caged Gardenia Beneath the Ember Moon 35Reads—Score214d adds
- 25 Professor Lu, Your Tsundere Side Is Showing 陆教授,你的傲娇掉马了 [Proud Law Professor vs. Spirited Policewoman | Regrets Chasing Her Too Late | Two Strong Leads, Sparks Flying] Three years ago, she offered him her heart, burning with love, only to hear him say, “We’re on different paths. We can’t work together.” Three years later, they meet again. He’s a special legal advisor to the municipal bureau, and she’s the lead detective on a pivotal case. Working together, he mocks her for running on coffee, yet when they’re alone, he tells her, “Add sugar. Don’t die 4.4kReads6.6Score38514d adds
- 26 He Abandoned His Pregnant Wife, Married in Secret for a Year, for His First Love 为了白月光抛弃隐婚一年怀孕的妻 Lan Ruotong: Are you sick? Mo Yechen: Do you have any medicine? A domineering military officer secretly marries his wife for a year while waiting for the woman he never forgot. When his old flame returns, he divorces his young wife. In a fit of anger, she jumps into the sea while pregnant. The domineering officer is consumed with regret and keeps vigil over his wife’s belongings for three years. After returning, Lan Ruotong (Fu Yiyi) is no longer the pushover she used to be. Can she accept the o 7.9kReads8.5Score45914d adds
- 27 After Our Engagement Is Broken, CEO Li Chases His Wife to the Ends of the Earth 退婚后厉总追妻火葬场 Jing City is a bustling place where powerful families and political intrigue intertwine. The four great families of the capital, the Nan, Li, Jing, and Ye, each have their own influence. Nan Qiao was switched at birth and returned to the Nan family at eighteen. However, at her homecoming banquet, Li Mohan was attacked with a cold poison by a rival, and the evidence pointed straight to Nan Qiao. Furious, he smashed the token that symbolized their engagement and called it off. Nan Qiao was also in 3.5kReads8.4Score20214d adds
- 28 Reborn in the Eighties: My Cold Ex-Husband Is Green with Jealousy 重生八零,高冷前夫狂吃醋 [Period setting + putting scumbags in their place + the husband’s road to redemption + doting on his wife + cozy everyday life] Wen Xi returns to more than twenty years earlier. The past two decades feel like a dream. In her previous life, all Wen Xi could think about was Gu Zhishen. She was determined to have a son to win back his heart, but neglected her daughter as she grew up, leaving the girl emotionally distant from her. Everyone around her called her crazy. Even as she lay dying, her daug 1.2kReads8.0Score10414d adds
- 29 Drowning in Deep Blue, I Met You 溺于深蓝遇见你 Lost in the Deep Blue, I Found You 17Reads—Score214d adds
- 30 After His Wife Left, the CEO Broke Down in Tears 老婆走后,霸总哭了 [Gorgeous, fiery rock drummer × calm, rational, cold-hearted CEO] (A little melodramatic. The leads are both physically and emotionally faithful, and it has a happy ending!) If you don’t like groveling-for-forgiveness stories, please steer clear. If you give it one star after reading for less than thirty minutes, I’ll seriously cry for you to see! * Tao Jiang had been dating Lu Qize for a year before she learned he had a childhood sweetheart who was also his fiancée, the woman he could never for 1.3kReads6.8Score10014d adds
- 31 Drowning in a Whirlpool of Tenderness 溺于温柔漩涡 Yan Shumei: A freelance illustrator and a textbook drama queen. It's not that she's bad, she's just afraid. Afraid of being abandoned, she starts fights first, pushes people away first, and covers herself in thorns. Qi Yanxu: Three years younger, and a doctoral student. He seems gentle and easy to handle, but beneath that he's stubborn and passionate. When he's jealous, he goes quiet. When he's tired, he'll say so. But he has never once thought of letting go. They've weathered a smashed glass on 59Reads—Score—14d adds
- 32 Love That Came Too Late! 迟来深情! Six years ago, on their wedding day, Mo Wen pushed his bride away with his own hands. When Shen Qi asked why, he simply said, "The wedding is off," then vanished from her world for good. Back then, Shen Qi had no idea that Mo Wen's grandfather had been poisoned to death at the wedding banquet, and that the culprits were his own maternal uncle and aunt. To avenge his grandfather and keep her from being dragged into the deadly plot, he chose the cruelest way: making her hate him. - Six year 200Reads—Score—14d adds
- 33 The Day She Finally Gave In, He Went Completely Mad 她认怂那天,他彻底的疯了 The three worst years of Lin Wan's life were all thanks to Gu Chenzhou. She had seen him treat others with tenderness, lose control over his unrequited love, and wound her at every turn with his cold words. She once thought that if she held on a little longer, was a little more sensible, and obeyed him a little more, she could eventually warm his heart. But then she understood: Someone who doesn't love you will even begrudge you your tears. So she gave up. She stopped arguing. She stopped making 40Reads—Score12914d adds
- 34 After I Dumped the Capital's Golden Boy, He Landed in the ICU 甩了京圈太子爷后,他进ICU了 [Love-struck, silly beauty X benefits-first young heir of the capital's elite / The heir acts like a dog early on / Later transforms into a love-struck heir of the capital's elite] [The wife-chasing crematorium + running away while pregnant + the powerful one bows his head + getting back together after a breakup + dual-purity romance] This is a story where the hero starts out with all the power in the family, and could have had a wife and children at home, but the young heir just had to mess e 6.7kReads—Score15914d adds
- 35 After Falling on Hard Times, I Was Spoiled by a Powerful Hong Kong Tycoon 落魄后,我被港圈大佬娇养 [Sweetness and heartbreak intertwined, groveling pursuit, forced love, both leads are inexperienced] [Powerful, scheming man with endless stamina VS proud heiress fallen on hard times] After Lin Tingran goes bankrupt, she’s bought by the man she once looked down on. Zhou Jiansui treats her well: gentle, affectionate, domineering, and devoted. She can’t help falling in love with him, but just as she’s ready to spend her life with him... She discovers that all his tenderness, sweet words, and poss 1.9kReads8.8Score13514d adds
- 36 I Just Bought a New Car, and the Traffic Cop Is My Ex 新车刚提,交警是我前男友 I Just Got a New Car, and the Traffic Cop Is My Ex-Boyfriend 28Reads—Score—14d adds
- 37 The Abstinent CEO's Wife-Chasing Hell 禁欲执行长追妻火葬场 [Ex-husband chases his wife to the crematorium + both reborn + intense romantic push and pull + later, the hero goes crazy and forces her into a relationship when he can't win her back + touches of the supernatural] [Cool, abstinent, unhinged executive × sultry, alluring actress who knows how to draw men in] The night was dark, and raindrops pounded against the car windows. The ever-cool, self-controlled man, revered like a living Buddha, completely lost his composure. He forcefully cornered her 2.3kReads8.7Score10614d adds
- 38 Reunited After Five Years Apart, Mr. Huo Goes Mad and Forces a Marriage 分手五年再遇,霍总发疯逼婚 [The pursuit-after-divorce arc + both leads' romantic purity + rekindled love + marriage before love + bad boy x good girl + coercive love + forced possession + rotten man with a sincere heart + bittersweet push and pull + emotional angst] Shen Wanqing has never forgotten what happened in her senior year of high school. She was just beginning to fall in love, secretly crushing on the school's most handsome boy, Huo Sicheng. Through incredible luck, she became his girlfriend. But after only a mon 7.1kReads—Score23414d adds
- 39 He Can't Stop Spoiling the Green Tea Girl, So I Turn Around and Reclaim My Place at Home 他宠绿茶上瘾,我转身家门归位 He can't stop doting on his scheming sweetheart, so I turn around and reclaim my place in the family. 40Reads—Score214d adds
- 40 After I Transmigrated, My Best Friend and I Became the Richest Women in the Capital 穿越后,我和闺蜜卷成了京城首富 After I transmigrated, my best friend and I hustled our way to becoming the richest people in the capital. 11Reads—Score—14d adds
- 41 Sweetly Hidden Love 娇藏蜜恋 [Both Pure, One-on-One] A nasty, handsome, arrogant rich boy vs. a spoiled, clingy canary girl + The long road to winning his wife back Award-winning actress Sheng Yi has been in show business for years. With her three rules, kiss double, bed double, and nude double, she has clinched the crown of “Queen of Water.” The media’s assessment of her is spot-on: “Mediocre acting, incredible resources. Who exactly is the mysterious sugar daddy behind her?” At a private banquet, someone shouts for Sheng 15kReads9.1Score1.3k14d adds
- 42 The Top Student Favors Me, as I Chase the Wind to the Summit 学神偏爱,等我追风登顶 The Top Student Favors Me, So Watch Me Chase the Wind and Reach the Summit 18Reads—Score—14d adds
- 43 Madwoman! My Stunning Ex-Wife Has Come to Claim My Life 疯批!美艳前妻来索命 [Two Powerful Heirs Seek Revenge | Love and Hate in a Tug-of-War | Scheming Mogul × Mixed-Race Heiress] A carefully planned marriage marks the beginning of Qin Yichuan's long-nurtured revenge. A law graduate carrying the weight of his family's old grudges, he deliberately approaches Ye Qinghe, heiress of the Ye family, using marriage to infiltrate his enemy's household. When trouble erupts, he makes a choice that, to everyone else, looks like a betrayal of his wife. Everyone calls him cold and h 57Reads8.8Score16814d adds
- 44 Fragrance from a Cold Hearth: The Abandoned Daughter Crowns the Capital with Her Beans 枯灶生香:弃女凭豆冠京华 Fragrance from a Cold Stove: The Cast-Off Daughter Claims the Capital with Her Beans 8Reads—Score—14d adds
- 45 At Yunqi Mountain, I Happened to Meet You 云栖山野,恰逢君至 In the Wilds of Yunqi Mountain, I Happened to Meet You 9Reads—Score—14d adds
- 46 If I Turn Away, We May Never Meet Again 若我转身,再会无期 A new work is out! You're welcome to read my stories on Tomato Novel. I hope you'll enjoy them. Your support motivates me to write, and I'll do my best to tell every story well! 162Reads—Score—14d adds
- 47 Do We Really Hate Each Other? We're Secretly in Love 相看两厌?我们背地里双向暗恋 Can't Stand the Sight of Each Other? We're Secretly in Love 14Reads—Score—14d adds
- 48 The Orphan Girl Bullied by the Whole Village, Yet Cherished by Every Court Official 全村欺辱的孤女,竟得朝臣满心偏爱 The orphan girl bullied by the whole village unexpectedly wins the wholehearted affection of the court officials. 6Reads—Score—14d adds
- 49 Wrongfully Married to a Mama's Boy: The Years My In-Laws Tormented Me 错嫁妈宝男,被婆家磋磨的那些年 Wrongly Married to a Mama's Boy: The Years My In-Laws Made My Life Miserable 8Reads—Score—14d adds
- 50 Behave Yourself, Fourth Young Master, You're Out! 不乖,四少你出局了! [Sweet and obedient heroine x spoiled rich heir] [Domineering pursuit x rekindled romance x groveling pursuit x happy ending] - The day she married into the Jiang family, the snow had just stopped. He Yang sat in the lounge while the makeup artists eyed her custom-made, outrageously expensive wedding dress and whispered, “Every stitch of this wedding is costly, except the bride.” The sky was clear blue, drones circled overhead, and a few words appeared: “Jiang Siye, I bet you’ll be divorced with 30.6kReads8.7Score2.8k14d adds

















































