Okay, so finding legally free Chinese novels in translation can be a bit tricky, but it's doable with some patience. Your absolute safest bets are platforms with official licenses that use freemium models. I'd point anyone towards Webnovel first; they've got a massive library and you can earn quite a few free daily passes to read. It's not unlimited, but you can get through a lot of content without paying if you're strategic. Another solid option is looking at projects on Wuxiaworld. They've shifted to a more official model, but a lot of their older, completed translations are still entirely free to read on their site as a kind of archive.
Don't forget about standard eBook services either. I've found some classic Chinese literature, like 'The Three-Body Problem' short stories or older Jin Yong works, available for free through services like Kindle Unlimited trials or library apps like Libby and Hoopla. It's not the web novel scene, but it's legal and free. Honestly, the landscape is always changing, so sometimes the best thing is to follow a translator's personal blog or website for a specific novel you love—they sometimes keep free versions up even after a series gets licensed.
A really random tip I stumbled on? Check out the 'Royal Road' equivalent for Chinese originals, 'BoxNovel'. They host a lot of content with ads, and while the legitimacy can be murky, some publishers use it as an official aggregation point. You have to read the fine print on each novel's page. It's not the most elegant solution, but for sheer volume of free reading, it's hard to beat.