[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-i-m-not-crazy-this-is-the-emperor-s-banner":3,"chapter-i-m-not-crazy-this-is-the-emperor-s-banner-i-m-not-crazy-this-is-the-emperor-s-banner-chapter-16":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","I'm Not Crazy—This Is the Emperor's Banner",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2291356,4480,"Chapter 16: Busy (Seeking Monthly Votes)","i-m-not-crazy-this-is-the-emperor-s-banner-chapter-16",16,"\u003Cp>Lin Manzhi’s WeChat profile picture showed a woman wearing a long trench coat, dark sunglasses, and holding a bouquet of flowers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It looked highly artistic, stylish and beautiful, exuding a strong sense of elegance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Her name is Jiang Tingyu. She’s the same age as you. Currently works at an aquarium. Had a boyfriend in college, but they broke up long ago—now she’s single…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Manzhi sent over more details about her, thoroughly, even mentioning the past boyfriend without hiding anything.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Siyuan didn’t mind that she’d had a boyfriend; after all, a 26-year-old woman who was this beautiful would naturally have had suitors—having a romantic history wasn’t surprising.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Besides, Shen Siyuan was only planning to meet her; whether it would work out was still uncertain, so there was no need to overthink it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Thank you, Sister Manzhi,” Shen Siyuan said politely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m done with the rest—you two talk on your own. Take the initiative,” Lin Manzhi added.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Siyuan replied with an “OK” emoji.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then he put down his phone, leaned on his desk, and prepared for a midday nap.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had always napped at noon; if he didn’t sleep, he’d be dead tired in the afternoon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for contacting Jiang Tingyu, he’d wait until work hours—personal matters should be handled during work time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But as Shen Siyuan leaned on his desk, he found he had no sleepiness at all—his mind felt unusually alert.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Siyuan had noticed this last night: ever since swallowing the soul of the Nine Youmingjun , he’d gained spiritual sense, and his energy had become extraordinarily vigorous, his eyes gleaming with an almost soul-piercing radiance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So last night, he’d replaced sleep with meditation—and it seemed he’d have to do the same at noon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thinking of this, Shen Siyuan felt himself falling downward from empty space—a slow descent, his body light as air, weightless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eventually he landed on a lake, like a fallen leaf touching the water’s surface, creating faint ripples; his spirit stirred slightly, but soon, as the ripples faded, the lake calmed again, and his mind slipped into a state of thoughtless stillness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ordinary people had too many distracting thoughts and found it hard to enter such a state, but for Shen Siyuan, who carried the memories of the Nine Youmojun , entering this state was as easy as eating or drinking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In this state, not only did his spirit achieve extreme relaxation, but his body did too—even his bodily functions slowed, as if entering hibernation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But soon, he was jolted awake by the ringtone of his phone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Siyuan quickly opened his eyes—it felt as if he’d just closed them, and it was already time for work.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In truth, this was the result of losing track of time while in meditation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although slacking off at work went unmonitored, openly sleeping at your desk was out of the question—you had to at least pretend to be working.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, those who had been napping all rose: some stretched, some got up to get water, some headed to the restroom to wash their faces… the entire office instantly came alive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Siyuan also stood up to pour himself a glass of water; others noticed the cola on his desk and offered to transfer him money.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I sent the red packet in the group.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The red packet group was an internal WeChat group for the Operations Department—everyone was in it. It was named that because it was used solely for collecting red packets; no actual conversation ever happened there.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Siyuan didn’t refuse—he claimed the red packet outright. Even though a cola was only three yuan, a deal was a deal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Wenjuan’s liangpi money was also settled, of course.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he were one of her sycophantic suitors, he’d refuse her money—but clearly, Shen Siyuan wasn’t, so he accepted it without guilt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The office noise quickly quieted down again, and everyone returned to their slacking-off routines, each attending to their own tasks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Siyuan then picked up his phone and added Jiang Tingyu; she accepted quickly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He immediately sent her a classic opening line.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hello, are you available?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Tingyu’s reply was equally classic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m Shen Siyuan, Lin Manzhi’s colleague. Did she tell you about me?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh, I know—you’re the fresh young lad she keeps raving about.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Uh… did Sister Manzhi really describe me that way?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Siyuan glanced back at Lin Manzhi; she was focused on her work, unaware of his gaze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But her description wasn’t wrong—though Shen Siyuan was already 26, he looked much younger: his skin was fair, his brows clear, giving off an impression of innocence and freshness—the kind of youthful aura people called “boyish charm.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perhaps because of this, he especially attracted older women.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, she won’t stop praising you to me. Are you really that good? Then why do you block your Moments?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I didn’t block my Moments—I just rarely post on them.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her words reminded him—he opened her Moments and scrolled through them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her Moments were clean: mostly food, or photos of various animals from the aquarium. The few selfies she’d posted were all in diving gear or mermaid performance costumes, strikingly radiant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Such a beautiful girl must have no shortage of suitors—Shen Siyuan couldn’t understand why she’d ended up on a blind date.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But they’d just met; he couldn’t ask her outright.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing she posted mostly Sichuan cuisine, he followed that topic to start chatting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then he learned she was a Sichuan girl.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re from Chongqing—why did you come to the coast?” Shen Siyuan asked, surprised.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Because I love the sea. Are you a local here?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sort of?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What do you mean, ‘sort of’?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I was born here, but my parents aren’t—so I’m half a coastal person…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They chatted like this—the girl was talkative and unpretentious. They talked for over half an hour, agreed on a meeting time and place for Friday night, then ended the conversation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From the chat, they’d each formed a preliminary impression—whether they were compatible would have to wait until they met.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon after, Lin Manzhi looked up, slightly excited: “Shen Siyuan, Tingyu liked you a lot. Keep it up.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clearly, Jiang Tingyu had immediately reported back to Lin Manzhi—evidently, they were very close.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her words were like a stone dropped into still water—the office instantly burst into lively chatter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>First, Chen Hao, sitting across from her, leaned forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What’s going on? Lin Jie, did you set him up on a date? Are you discriminating? Why didn’t you set me up? Doesn’t matter if she’s pretty—the key is, is she rich? If she’s rich, I’m seriously mad.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Beautiful people pair with beautiful people—Lin Jie’s friends must be gorgeous too.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was a well-placed compliment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Damn it, Lin Jie, I’m offended. Why didn’t you set me up? You’re my real sister!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Damn, you’ve got a girlfriend—what are you butting in for?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m thinking of breaking up with her.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Fine, I recorded that. If you don’t buy me lunch for a week, I’m sending it to your girlfriend.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Pfft, you bastard—you play dirty…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Big Brother Shen, got a photo? Show me…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t show him—otherwise before you even meet, he’ll already be charging in…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The office was filled with cheerful energy.\u003C\u002Fp>",1197,"2026-06-20T03:53:08.657Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","b7391ca5afefce7bd34e90c81a97f04733708000048b49a78827b9112098ec88","i-m-not-crazy-this-is-the-emperor-s-banner-chapter-17","i-m-not-crazy-this-is-the-emperor-s-banner-chapter-15",623,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fi-m-not-crazy-this-is-the-emperor-s-banner-cover.jpg"]