[{"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-70":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},2291410,4480,"Chapter 70: Charging for Love","i-m-not-crazy-this-is-the-emperor-s-banner-chapter-70",70,"\u003Cp>\"Sorry, I went straight to sleep last night and just saw your message.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next morning, while Shen Siyuan was eating breakfast, he received a message from Jiang Tao.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It's fine, rest is most important.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Siyuan replied casually; since he had decided to try dating Ruan Hongzhuang, he had already given up pursuing Jiang Tao.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as he was about to put his phone away, WeChat popped up another message.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Boyfriend, good morning.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The breakfast in Shen Siyuan’s mouth nearly sprayed out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Who greets like this?\" Shen Siyuan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Then how else?\" Ruan Hongzhuang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Just say good morning.\" Shen Siyuan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Good morning.\" Good morning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That’s enough.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They had talked late into the night last night; though they hadn’t met in person, their relationship seemed to have grown noticeably closer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You haven’t said good morning to me yet.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Siyuan: ...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Good morning.\" Shen Siyuan could only send her that one message.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her rigid, straightforward way of dating was, honestly, a little funny—but also oddly endearing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I posted something on my Moments.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Oh.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Oh? 😐\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Do you want me to like it?\" Shen Siyuan asked tentatively.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I rarely post on Moments,\" Ruan Hongzhuang said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Siyuan immediately opened her Moments and found only one lonely post—just posted this morning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A casually taken photo of the rising sun, accompanied by text.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"A gentle breeze brushes the face; the morning sun illuminates the sky.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A simple phrase, yet one could sense the joy within the words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only then would you feel the warmth of the wind and the brightness of the sun.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So Shen Siyuan liked it and left a comment: \"Time is still young; the sunlight still warm.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment he posted his comment, Ruan Hongzhuang’s post gained another comment and a like.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only mutual friends could see each other’s likes and comments.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The only mutual friend Shen Siyuan and Ruan Hongzhuang shared was Jiang Tao.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her comment was direct.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Wow, boss, you seem to be in a great mood today?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Immediately after, another comment appeared—clearly Jiang Tao had seen Shen Siyuan’s reply.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Something’s off... really off...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Let me formally introduce you: my boyfriend, Shen Siyuan.\" Shen Siyuan saw Ruan Hongzhuang’s reply.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What’s going on? Am I still asleep? I need to wash my face.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hurry up and come to work—don’t be late again.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Sis, is this really the time to talk about this? I just slept one night and you already have a boyfriend?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two of them had started chatting casually beneath the post.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since Shen Siyuan had only two mutual friends, he could only see the conversation between the two of them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Ruan Hongzhuang and Jiang Tao had far too many mutual friends—including Jiang Wenxin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In an instant, Ruan Hongzhuang’s WeChat exploded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whether it was because this was her first romance and she was giddy, eager to announce to the world she had a boyfriend, or simply because of her personality—unwilling to hide her emotions—no one knew.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ruan Ruan’s personality is just like this,\" Su Apo gave Shen Siyuan the answer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Shen Siyuan came downstairs that morning, he saw Su Apo waiting for him below—clearly, she already knew about him and Ruan Hongzhuang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Siyuan felt awkward meeting her for the first time; just the night before, he had firmly insisted they weren’t compatible, yet now they were dating.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Su Apo, a woman who understood people deeply, did not mock him for it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instead, she happily thanked him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Whether the future brings regret or heartache, Ruan Ruan needs a relationship. Of course, what I most hope for is that you two will grow old together, sharing a lifetime.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Su Apo’s viewpoint was surprisingly similar to Ruan Hongzhuang’s.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Finding a partner is hardest for women like her and men like him; Ruan Hongzhuang was already twenty-eight, long past the age for marriage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On one hand, her personality made it rare for any man to truly move her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the other hand, she was simply too outstanding—few men could match her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What’s going on? What’s going on?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Tao rushed into the company without even eating breakfast, her hair messy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She stared wide-eyed at Ruan Hongzhuang, sitting behind her desk, sipping coffee, calm and composed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What’s going on? As you see—I think he’s nice, he thinks I’m okay, so why not try dating?\" Ruan Hongzhuang took a sip of coffee, speaking casually.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet the slight upturn of her lips betrayed her calm exterior.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This is too fast! I just slept one night and my big boyfriend is gone? Didn’t you say you wouldn’t compete with me?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Tao recalled the message from last night.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Only what’s yours counts as competing. If it wasn’t yours to begin with, how can it be competing?\" Ruan Hongzhuang said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That’s true,\" Jiang Tao said instinctively.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But then she snapped back to awareness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Bullshit, this is way too fast!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If I hadn’t moved fast, he would’ve pursued you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What do you mean?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Literally—he said he had strong feelings for you and wanted to try dating you...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Tao looked utterly bewildered—Sis, can you really say those things right to my face?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I asked him how he felt about me.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"He said I was great, but thought we might not be compatible—he probably felt I’m too dominant.\" Clearly, Ruan Hongzhuang understood the meaning behind Shen Siyuan’s words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If that’s the case, how did you two end up together?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"We’re not together—we’re just trying to date.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Tao was dissatisfied. \"He clearly liked me—why did he turn around and like you?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"He didn’t like you—he just thought you were nice. He thought I was great too, but felt you suited him better,\" Ruan Hongzhuang corrected her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She disliked that phrase—what did \"like you\" even mean?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Fine, forget that—so how did you two start dating?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I said I wouldn’t try dating unless we knew if we were compatible. He thought that made sense, so we decided to try.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Tao didn’t know what to say.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She just stared at Ruan Hongzhuang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ruan Hongzhuang felt uneasy under her gaze, as if she owed her something, so she asked gently, \"Have you eaten breakfast?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Tao shook her head—she had rushed in too quickly to eat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ruan Hongzhuang pulled open a drawer and pulled out a loaf of bread, handing it over.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Tao reached out to take it, sighing. \"You’re always decisive in your work—I never expected you’d be just as decisive in love.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She wasn’t angry or heartbroken about losing a boyfriend—she was even happy for Ruan Hongzhuang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, she and Shen Siyuan had only just met; they were still strangers. She just didn’t know how to explain this to Jiang Wenxin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But I still don’t get it—what exactly about him attracted you so much that you moved so fast?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Tao asked curiously as she tore open the bread bag.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Wait, something’s wrong?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This bread is expired.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Oh~\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"And wasn’t this the one I gave you last time?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Was it? Maybe—I’ve had it in the drawer for a while.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Tao suddenly felt something was off about their conversation—it felt like they weren’t really talking about bread at all.\u003C\u002Fp>",1185,"2026-06-20T03:53:08.657Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","269f77a43730361876ca4e6a33bc30ef72d9bb07c17266468f765dc4f611dca8","i-m-not-crazy-this-is-the-emperor-s-banner-chapter-71","i-m-not-crazy-this-is-the-emperor-s-banner-chapter-69",623,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fi-m-not-crazy-this-is-the-emperor-s-banner-cover.jpg"]