Pampered

Jiaochong centers on the premise of "pretending to be mad as a substitute bride," building an urban romance and contract flash-marriage framework atop a scheme within a family. After enduring two years in a mental hospital, Shen Qinghe is forced to marry Lu Shiyan, whom the outside world sees as a "fool," in place of her stepsister. Each hides their true face, testing each other through daily care and forbearance. The story's readability comes from the tension of the dual personas: one pretends to be mad for self-protection, the other plays dumb to conceal his abilities; the marriage is a stage from the start, yet genuine feelings gradually grow through their time together. Author Hongmu Gezi places sweet romance and redemption on the same line, with suppression in the early stage, testing in the middle, and revelation in the later stage. The emotional rises and falls are clear, making it suitable for readers who enjoy the "marriage first, love later" and "mutual disguise" tropes. As you read, pay attention to how the boundary between "acting" and "not acting" shifts each time; that is the most crucial measure of the book's emotional progression.