[{"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-69":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},2291409,4480,"Chapter 69","i-m-not-crazy-this-is-the-emperor-s-banner-chapter-69",69,"\u003Cp>The essence of marriage is mutual compromise and accommodation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This is the ideal state, or put another way, a mutual pursuit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But in marriage, one side usually bears the burden; over time, even the deepest love becomes tiring and exhausting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Therefore, from his first encounters with the two women, Shen Siyuan leaned toward Jiang Tao.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was seeking marriage, not merely a passionate romance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Marriage is not poetry and distant horizons—it’s firewood, rice, oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, and tea.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Two women, two different styles—based on their initial interactions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ruan Hongzhuang is dominant, highly opinionated, and clearly not someone who easily compromises; to live with such a person, you must compromise and accommodate her, or conflict is inevitable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But over time, he didn’t think he could endure it—and why should he sacrifice himself from the very beginning?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had only just met Ruan Hongzhuang; they weren’t madly in love.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Tao’s personality was the exact opposite: gentle and kind, raised in an environment of constant protection, growing up surrounded by love, everything arranged for her, so she had little will of her own.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Marrying such a woman means that as long as you give her enough love, she will almost always obey you, because she’s accustomed to having her life planned for her; she won’t argue with you, so conflict naturally diminishes, eliminating many unnecessary troubles in daily life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even with many flaws, she remains someone worthy of love.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, through Shen Siyuan’s observation, Jiang Tao wasn’t some ethereal fairy—she was genuinely considerate of others’ feelings.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because she grew up in love, she also knew how to love others well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, if such a woman meets a scoundrel, she’ll be deeply wounded—unless she changes herself or has her family to support her, she’ll suffer terribly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Shen Siyuan considered himself no scoundrel; if they truly could be together, he would give her happiness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That’s why Shen Siyuan took the initiative, testing her attitude.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he received no reply from Jiang Tao—instead, he got a WeChat message from Ruan Hongzhuang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Did you get home?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why did this message feel so familiar?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wasn’t this the exact message he’d just sent to Jiang Tao? Even the punctuation was identical.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Did she copy and paste it and send it right back?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Siyuan didn’t reply immediately; he stroked his chin and thought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He naturally understood what Ruan Hongzhuang meant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Honestly, a beautiful woman actively pursuing him—he wasn’t a saint, and he was single; it was hard not to be moved.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This made Shen Siyuan, who had intended to pursue Jiang Tao, feel uncertain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Shen Siyuan hesitated whether to reply,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ruan Hongzhuang sent another message: “Do you like peaches?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Siyuan thought for a moment, then replied first.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I just got home and only just saw your message.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He added: “We just met today; I can’t say I like you yet, but Miss Jiang is truly kind, so I’d like to get to know her first.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Siyuan expressed his thoughts honestly, not hiding his true feelings just because the other woman was beautiful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet his reply was nearly identical to Jiang Tao’s—both wanted to take things slowly and see.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Siyuan saw his message sent and heard no further response; he was about to put his phone down when it chimed again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He picked it up—it was another message from Ruan Hongzhuang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What do you think of me?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing this, Shen Siyuan’s face turned blank—sister, are you really this direct?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But after thinking it over, carefully weighing his words, he sent back: “You’re a good person.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This time, Ruan Hongzhuang replied quickly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then shall we try dating?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Siyuan was genuinely startled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After thinking, he replied: “Isn’t this too fast?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m not asking you to become my boyfriend right away. You think I’m a good person, and I think you’re appealing—so let’s try dating first.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before Shen Siyuan could reply, she sent another message immediately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Do you think I’m too frivolous?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then another followed, as if she’d already prepared them all, waiting to send them one by one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m afraid if you start dating Tao, I won’t have a chance to steal you away.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Siyuan sent six dots—he didn’t know what to say.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After sending the six dots, he saw her status remained “typing”; curious what she’d say next, he waited patiently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My directness stems from my personality. There’s a unique aura about you that draws me in—you’re an extraordinary person, and I fear missing you will lead to regret…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I never choose to regret now, even if I might regret later—so I might as well be upfront with you…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Of course, my behavior might annoy you, but I can tell you have strong feelings for Tao; if you two truly start dating, I’ll have no chance left—I could never steal someone else’s boyfriend…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If not for that, I might have chosen to slowly get to know you…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I asked you what you thought of me—you said I’m a good person, which means you have feelings for me too. If so, why not let me be the one to try first?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Also, I have a question: I believe my appearance and abilities are no worse than Tao’s—why choose her?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Reading Ruan Hongzhuang’s messages one by one, Shen Siyuan finally understood her thoughts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for her final question, the answer was simple: “Precisely because you’re too good, I feel we’re not suited for each other.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He added: “Besides, I think being with a girl like Miss Jiang would be easier and more comfortable.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Siyuan didn’t directly mention her overly dominant personality—but with Ruan Hongzhuang’s intelligence, she’d understand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We haven’t even dated yet—how do you know we’re incompatible?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Alright, that’s my mistake—I was too hasty. But it’s just a personal judgment; I fear ending up with no result and both of us deeply hurt.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Is that bad?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Siyuan stared in confusion—how was that good?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Being deeply hurt proves you care. Would you feel pain for a stranger? The deeper the emotion, the deeper the wound—no matter the outcome, it becomes one of life’s most beautiful memories…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Siyuan suddenly found her words deeply reasonable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A complete life is never only about beauty—those unforgettable loves and regrets, the love unattainable, are the true Changtai  of life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Siyuan was convinced by her, and admired her boldness in love and hate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, the main reason was still her beauty—that mattered greatly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So he said: “Then let’s try?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ruan Hongzhuang sent a smiling face, then added: “Let me properly introduce myself—I’m Ruan Hongzhuang, twenty-eight, modestly successful in my career, never dated before, hoping for our future…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So formal? Shen Siyuan thought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He followed her format and introduced himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m Shen Siyuan, twenty-six, accomplished nothing, no house, no car, had one past relationship…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Siyuan remained blunt—if Ruan Hongzhuang withdrew because of this, there was nothing left to discuss.\u003C\u002Fp>",1148,"2026-06-20T03:53:08.657Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","aec89628534f1cebd9d24ebee2e3133905d91c1f7f771b73de8b7f5fbd5cc594","i-m-not-crazy-this-is-the-emperor-s-banner-chapter-70","i-m-not-crazy-this-is-the-emperor-s-banner-chapter-68",623,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fi-m-not-crazy-this-is-the-emperor-s-banner-cover.jpg"]