DO YOU WANT SCHEMES??? DO YOU WANT A TYRANT WHO MAKES SURE EVERYONE KNOWS EXACTLY HOW EVIL HE CAN BE??? This story started Big and... more>> just kept getting EXPLOSIVE. I am absolutely obsessed with the Insane Level Of Angst created by this author. I can't even tell y'all more cause I swear, even if I tried to spoil this for you, YOU'D STILL BE SOBBING! Like I did! for like AT LEAST FIVE CHAPTERS STRAIGHT <<less

okay okay okay, Go In Blind. I'm serious. Do not look up a single thing about this novel. Just. TRUST ME. its absolute Perfection. I... more>> just read it and I am already planning on reading it again. Genuinely. Don't know what to read? pick up this novel RIGHT NOW, i promise, you will love it <<less

SHE IS HERE FOR VENGEANCE! SHE IS HERE TO DESTROY THOSE WHO DESTROYED HER! SHE IS HERE TO BE UNFATHOMABLY EVIL! SHE IS HERE TO... more>> BE RESOLUTELY CRUEL!!! SHE IS HERE TO BE SO MUCH FUN TO READ!!!!! <<less

OH MY GOD! I LOVE THIS MAN!!! HE IS SO SWEET! AND SO SILLY! AND AAAAAAAAAAAH!!! I honest to god HATE horror SO much, but... more>> Xiao Lan was such a perfect protagonist from the very first chapter and just s**ked me right in. I am SO MAD at all the nightmares I have but I LOVE MY BABY TOO MUCH OKAY??? Edit: Also ! Yes Lots Of Schemes And Conspiracy in the game world, system world and IRL! lots of layers of Shenanigans! <<less

Complete (100% read), Highly Recommend!... more>>

The Schemes here are both well balanced against the other themes and honestly, pretty atypical! plus, its a well executed/well written novel of its type while still finding interesting ways to play with the genre. I particularly enjoy that while the cast has several "Super Cool^tm" types, they never really lose the background "normal life" feel, especially since the protagonist is genuinely a pretty normal guy. Its really nice to read a story where not only does the Happy Ending feel realistic for the story, the pacing/tone is well handled throughout! 

If you enjoy a Scheme thats genuinely Just For The Protag and doesn't necessarily carry the weight of whole story, I highly recommend this series!

    /)/)   ( . .) <(Bunni!) o(     ) <<less

okay, this mans is So Extremely f*cked Up but its alright cause he's Very Good At Acting Like He's Cool <- thats all you need... more>> to know. For Real. Ren Yifei is absolutely a Mary Sue to end all Mary Sue's but you end up loving him cause he's just so much fun to read. Fishfish on Chrysanthemum Garden did a stellar job translating, this is a Must Read For the Scheme Crowd <<less

Complete (100% read)  one of my all times, my white moonlight, my gem of a novel. Please Read It

Complete (100% Read) Reader Discretion Advised: (multiple) Abusive relationships/dynamics & Suicidal Ideation. Schemes Spanning Multiple Lives/Generations, Amnesia Plots that add to the narrative! MULTIPLE MULTIPLE IDENTITIES BABYYY, this is a novel that will Destroy You Multiple Times and there are set ups that dont come through untill the LAST THREE CHAPTERS! this a commitment to Pain but the pay off is so super worth it imo, please read it!... more>>

~Bunni <<less

Complete (100% read). Highly Recommended! Firstly, the plot is very well constructed! each of the players feels distinct and the interpersonal conflicts are VERY good. Excellent character writing in a pretty interesting corporate plot!... more>>

Secondly, I really adore Chen Qizhao as a protagonist. He's a fascinating unreliable narrator in that, he is a pretty honest person on the whole, he's just completely crushed by the Plot and it very visibly changes him. One of the plot elements i deeply enjoyed was reading how all of the other characters perceived Chen Qizhao and how his character was interpreted by each of them.

if you like stories where the plot has consequences for ALL of the characters, protagonist/antagonist/side characters alike, this is a great read.

~Bunni <<less

Complete (100% read) Highly recommended! A Couple That Schemes Together, Stays Together. I truly cannot recommend this read enough, I love love love how well the characters grow together and the plot is absolutely fascinating! Its 63 chapters of pitch perfect plotting and I am sad there isnt more Song Tan and Shen Yin to enjoy.... more>>

~bunni <<less

Complete (100% read), Reader Discretion Advised for: Unhealthy Relationship Dynamics & s*xual Assault, Highly Recommended! Not going to lie, this book gets Very Dark And Extremely Tragic And Also Really f*cked Up, and honestly it does each of those themes justice. This story is very much character focused and each of those characters are Deeply Complex. For a transmigration story, its definitely top tier. Everyone has their own goals, schemes and desires and watching each plotline weave together is very satisfying. Don't read if you aren't ready to cry cause I did on more than one occasion.... more>>

~Bunni <<less

okay, so the scheming is actually 1) largely accidental 2) MOSTLY cause the protag cant figure how to explain himself so he picks the easiest... more>> way (its all god's fault) but despite the Conspiracies being MUCH lower level than some others on the list, I think the narrative consequences and the overall writing still make this a worthy entry! Especially as the story progresses, the poor MC keeps making just Tsunami Level Waves, even when he is actively trying not to. PLUS, its a super good territory building novel with an incredibly sweet romance. Overall, its a very well balanced story with some scheming spice :) <<less

Complete (100% read), Do you like Consequences? Deep Seated Reckoning With One's Self and Core Beliefs? Having to Fundamentally Change As A Person while Dealing With Everyone Who Only Sees The Old You??? Then this is the novel for you! Plus a variety of schemes from the internal family level to the Inter Dimensional!... more>>

~bunni <<less

Complete (100% read) highly recommended! Listen, Wen Chi THINKS he's scheming, but don't be mistaken he's just a silly fox that keeps knocking Shi Ye's chessboard over. All the conspiracies are well built and genuinely surprising even when I thought I guessed everything. I really enjoyed reading how Wen Chi grows and changes throughout, even as he misses just so many Very Obvious Death Flags. A great novel for schemes indeed!... more>>

~bunni <<less

Complete (100% read) Highly recommended! So this is a bit of an atypical example of my beloved Scheming. This Protagonist's goal is to take his revenge by living well and fully forgetting the people that harmed him before, which is such an interesting perspective to read! As for the The Shenanigans, they are mostly done by 1) the people who want to exploit MC/ML 2) the ML and his Team to protect MC and his kiddo (kiddo is also a 11/10 best baby, one of the best kiddo characters I've read thus far) ... more>>

Though there is much less Conspiring overall, this ML genuinely is a Top Tier Schemer. He's from a former mob family and the author does a GREAT job retaining his edge w/o straying into True as*hole Territory. While there very much is the typical "oh it was TOTALLY a su*cide" type plans, most of the time ML does the "walk into hell yourself" method which frankly I love reading. It always clear that while the ML is facilitating the steps, every one of the characters who falls into a Scheme is doing so of their own will. The ML uses their greed and poor character against them in a really believable way. Plus the contrast between the MC (Very Direct and honest even if he can be tactfully polite) and the ML (Brash/Rough on the surface concealing deep complexity) is *chef's kiss*

Truly a wonderful read!

~Bunni <<less

ZHAO ZHAO IS THE SCHEMER OF ALL TIME!!! he's also one of my favorite types of schemer! AKA Thinks He's Evil But Is Actually Too... more>> Good Too Pure For This World Please Just Stab Someone Zhao Zhao, You Deserve It. Unironically, I got a headache from crying over this novel, PLEASE read it! <<less

This is the 2nd work of a series, but the intricacy of the Scheming here is Top Tier. Oh my god, the dedication to show... more>> off the conventional Infinite Horror Genre is only surpassed by the author's dedication to Existential Philosophy. Yes! there are goofs! and running jokes! and lighthearted moments! but the narrative is devoted to showing the contrast between human happiness and human grief. All of the cascading Plots gorgeously detail exactly how humans survive in absurdity. Please Read This Novel <<less

Complete (100% read) Highly Recommended! This novel is ridiculous, its over the top, its going balls to the wall and will steal your wallet on the way. I absolutely love the MC and the ML is a treasure. These are characters embodying their tropes to the fullest extent and doing a damn good job. The Fortune Hunter MC schemes for his beloved (money), the villain schemes for Reasons (hedgehogs are wily you know?) and everyone else's schemes just can't match the energy of the MC/ML Super Combo (aka f*ck you I'm getting mine). Frankly, I was not expecting to get so invested I actually cried AND YET! Truly a great read!... more>>

~Bunni <<less

Complete (100% read) Highly Recommend! I LOVE THIS ONE SO MUCH OH MY GOD. 1) crazy/terrifying man and "Soft" "Sweet" Husband who uh, only really show their true faces to each other. and those true faces are Absolutely Ruthless 2) GOOD TASTY COURT SHENANIGANS 3) the backstory is honest to god so fitting and tragic and the resolution is *chef's kiss* AND honestly quite interesting on its own! 4) I love stories where the "Insane" person is both A) treated like a real person not a monster (even when monstrous things happen for plot reasons B) are not fixed by Deus Ex Machina and the affected character deals with them like an IRL disability. They... more>> do both here! the ML's "curse" remains a part of their lives and the narrative does an excellent job making sure his agency is still seen! All in all a very satisfying read!

~Bunni <<less

Complete (100% read) Oh My God I Love This Silly Ass Story. Okay, You Mian is straight up SUCH a petty b*tch, while still being... more>> just an Absolute Class Act. The dating show bits I swear, are just there as an excuse to let You Mian be as dramatic as possible. All of the schemes are just *mwah*and almost entirely result in not just Face Slapping, but moving the plot forward! the plot is well balanced between The Schemes, The Falling In Love and The Bittersweet (I wont spoil but there is some surprisingly f*cked up bits). A very satisfying story :) <<less

Complete (100% read) highly recommended! The Schemes here are a liiiiitle bit different since they are mostly related to Battle Tactics, nevertheless they are really detailed and a ton of fun to read! I love how the author wrote the gameplay (I am not a gamer myself so this is extra high praise from me) and Rainbow Mushroom's translation is again, completely stellar. The cast of characters is very well developed and it's honestly a really refreshing read where everyone is equally dedicated to Causing A Ruckus. Very much worth the read imo!... more>>

~bunni <<less

Complete (100% read), this is another story where the Schemes are usually done by the characters AROUND the protag. Its quite an interesting read because... more>> it does try to focus on the Protag striving for his (well deserved) happy life, while the ML schemes to wife him (and protect him) and his mom schemes to protect him and like Every Other Person is either also Scheming To Protect Their Silly Sheep Boy, or like, literally trying to Kill Him For Spoiler Reasons. Its kinda like that spiderman meme of the library getting destroyed while stan lee is vibing with his headphones. Only, its about Plants (and uh, organ harvesting). very satisfying! <<less

Complete (100% read) Highly recommended! this one is very interesting overall, while I do think there are places were the story loses focus, I really enjoyed the omniscient POV and the dedication MC had to protect his family and his hard earned  happiness. I think this is definitely a scheme story that uses the rebirth concept well and frankly I was impressed by the depth of the worldbuildinig. the specific setting of  just around  '08 was well chosen and honestly added alot! Plus, the face slapping moments in this are really funny/satisfying, especially when the villains are so complexly bad (even if it doesnt seem that way initially).... more>>

~bunni <<less

(he's lying)

Complete (100% read), highly recommended! Not as Specific Scheme heavy as some others on this list, however it's a really strong story that uses foreshadowing beautifully. I very much enjoyed watching the characters develop and playing Spot The Trope. A great read and a very interesting overall plot that's well worth the slow burn imo.... more>>

~bunni <<less