After Faking My Death to Escape the Marriage for Three Years, My Former Fiancé Went Mad - Reviews

Okay, the stakes in this story just went FROM ZERO TO ONE HUNDRED and I am not okay. Let me lay out what we know: Shen Xun (the Zhenyuan General) has disappeared under suspicious circumstances. His son Shen Jinyan has gone hysterical. Gu Ning believes his illness started because of her. Chi Yan has received a SECRET LETTER stating that Shen Xun will definitely die within three months. And the ONLY cure for Chi Yan's condition is the Moon-silk Flower, which Madam Shen can offer as a reward. So Gu Ning is trapped. If she goes to the general's estate, she risks her life—Chi Yan literally says "there are those who do not wish for Shen Jinyan to regain his clarity." The best way to prevent his recovery would be to target HER. But if she doesn't go, Chi Yan dies within a year, and the general's family falls apart. The internal conflict is just as brutal. Chi Yan wants to keep her safe but also can't let her near Shen Jinyan. His jealousy and his love are the same thing, and that's the tragedy. When he says "Have you ever thought about what I would do if something happened to you?"—his eyes red, his voice trembling—he's not just being dramatic. He's genuinely scared that if she dies, he'll become something worse than Liu San. And Liu San? He's out there poisoning people, collecting information, and smiling through blood. The external threats are closing in from every direction. I need the next chapter NOW.

The peach tree scenes in this book are going to ruin me I can feel it. Like, Jia Xiangwei planted ALL those peach trees because her son fell in love with a girl under one. And that girl was Gu Ning. The parallel is so brutal I actually had to pause and stare at the ceiling. "The peach blossoms remained as vibrant as ever, but the person had grown thin and frail." THAT LINE. I'm not okay. And then Gu Ning remembers—she remembers HIM climbing the tree to pick peaches for her, turning back with those sharp little canine teeth and smiling. The narrative just drops that memory like a bomb in the middle of this carriage ride and I was NOT prepared. She's sitting there pretending to be someone else's fiancée, going to treat her dead lover's mother, while surrounded by peach blossoms that were planted as a memorial to their love. The emotional whiplash is unreal. And Jia Xiangwei, sweet desperate mother, asking for Gu Ning's given name like she's looking for a connection to her dead son, not realizing she's literally sitting across from the girl he loved. The irony is so thick I could choke on it.