[{"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-88":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},2291428,4480,"Chapter 88","i-m-not-crazy-this-is-the-emperor-s-banner-chapter-88",88,"\u003Cp>Shen Siyuan took Ru Hongzhuang to a small shop with only three tables for their meal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But this breakfast spot had been open here for over a decade and had many loyal customers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some regulars who had moved away still came back specially from time to time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The interior was old-fashioned, with plaster peeling off the walls like scorched rice crust, but the tabletops were clean.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You don’t mind, do you?” Shen Siyuan smiled as he asked Ru Hongzhuang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What’s there to mind? When I was in school, I often ate at places like this with Jiang Tao.” Ru Hongzhuang said calmly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though she came from a wealthy family, she was no delicate girl—she could enjoy good times and endure hard ones alike.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then sit down.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Siyuan pulled out a chair for her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ru Hongzhuang didn’t refuse; she sat down with ease and grace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only then did Shen Siyuan notice her hips were wider than her shoulders—full and firm. The last time he saw her, she’d worn a dress; today, though in jeans, she’d walked beside him all along, so he hadn’t noticed before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Shen Siyuan glanced once and looked away—staring at someone’s backside was plainly rude.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still, Ru Hongzhuang’s arrival had drawn many glances from inside the shop.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In fact, the breakfast items sold here were all greasy—buns, fried dough sticks, spring rolls—all loaded with oil and meat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But since Ru Hongzhuang liked spicy food, she’d surely accept this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, no one likes mild spice—what’s the difference between that and “colorful black”?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Indeed, the dishes Shen Siyuan ordered suited her taste perfectly, especially that bowl of soup—she loved it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What’s this soup called?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s just kelp soup, but made with chicken broth, then added chicken shreds, shrimp, cloud ear fungus, and starch to thicken it…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“As for the chili, I added it specially for you—I figured you’d like it spicy.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ru Hongzhuang nodded, pulled out a tissue, and wiped her lips. The chili had turned her lips a vivid red, more alluring than any lipstick.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I don’t know why, but I’m from Siming, yet I’ve loved spicy food since childhood. My grandmother says I must’ve been a Sichuan girl in my past life…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ru Hongzhuang was still quite talkative, speaking with ease and confidence—overall, a very poised and self-assured girl.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But her grandmother hadn’t come with her today—probably to avoid disturbing their date.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still, if she had come, Shen Siyuan wouldn’t have minded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old lady was refined and elegant, speaking slowly and calmly—conversing with her was very pleasant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He also enjoyed learning about Ru Hongzhuang’s past from her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After breakfast, they stepped out of the shop—it was still before eight, and the weather was pleasantly cool.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Where to now?” Ru Hongzhuang asked, clearly leaving all decisions to him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We agreed to hike—can’t break that promise. Let’s go. There’s a bus up ahead that goes straight to Yeluling.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Binhai had no subway—only buses and trams—mainly due to geography and its small permanent population, so a subway was never built.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But riding the bus had its own advantages.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Binhai’s natural scenery was beautiful; from the bus, you could see blue sky, ocean, coconut trees, and flowers everywhere.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If you rode the subway, hurtling through dark tunnels, how could you enjoy these views?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The reason I came to Binhai to start my business was partly because of Jiang Tao’s urging, and partly because of Binhai’s beauty. Of course, my family’s in shipping, so it was a natural fit—combined with all these factors, I chose to stay in Binhai…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The bus wasn’t empty; most passengers were tourists, and since it was summer vacation, many parents had brought their children to Binhai.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They found seats in the last row, chatting while admiring the scenery outside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ru Hongzhuang told him much about herself; Shen Siyuan did the same—dating was a process of mutual understanding.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Life truly was strange: one born in Siming, the other in Qionghai—their paths should never have crossed, yet fate brought them together.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, strictly speaking, Shen Siyuan wasn’t even from Qionghai—he was from Luzhou.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When they got off the bus, it was already past eight, and the sun had grown fierce.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The sun’s too strong—you didn’t even bring anything to shield yourself.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Siyuan noticed she carried nothing—not even a bag—and couldn’t help smiling. Most girls, no matter what, always carried a bag when they went out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Travel light—too much baggage is just a burden. Before I left, I put on sunscreen,” Ru Hongzhuang said, extending her fair, delicate arm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wait a moment.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Siyuan spotted a vendor selling sun hats nearby and walked over.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How much for the hat?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Eighty.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Siyuan whistled—a simple sun hat, two layers of cloth, dared to charge eighty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he remembered this was a tourist spot, so it wasn’t surprising—Binhai’s prices had always been high.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still, he haggled and finally bought it for sixty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ru Hongzhuang hadn’t followed—he’d watched her standing under a tree nearby.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Siyuan walked over with the beige sun hat and placed it on her head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Try it—does it fit?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ru Hongzhuang pulled out her phone, took a look, then happily snapped two photos—she seemed very pleased.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t you need one?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No, my skin’s thick—I don’t mind the sun.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He spoke the truth: having trained the Second Phase of the Great Arhat Eighteen Forms, how could he fear a little sunlight?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ru Hongzhuang laughed softly: “You can’t talk about yourself like that—I’ll buy you one.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She turned to go, but Shen Siyuan grabbed her hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I won’t buy one—not because I’m stingy, but because I truly don’t need it. Do I look like someone who needs a sun hat?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ru Hongzhuang glanced at Shen Siyuan, her eyes sweeping over his chest and arms, her cheeks faintly flushing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Today he wore a white sleeveless crew-neck tank top and loose wide-leg pants.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The outfit showcased his perfect physique—broad back, narrow waist, wide shoulders, long arms, defined muscles like a lion, radiating unmistakable male charm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With her hand held by Shen Siyuan and their bodies close, she could almost feel the male pheromones radiating from him, making her cheeks burn.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Siyuan held her hand and didn’t let go; Ru Hongzhuang didn’t pull away—she silently accepted it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So, hand in hand, they climbed the mountain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Laughing and chatting along the way, their affection quickly deepened; by the time they reached the summit, it was no longer Shen Siyuan holding her hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instead, she had affectionately linked her arm through his, smiling like a blooming flower.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Siyuan chose to hike for good reason: though hot, Yeluling wasn’t tall, and with its coastal trees, the mountain was cooler than the base.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Is this okay?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ru Hongzhuang turned her back to the sea, posing for Shen Siyuan to photograph.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the peak, the entire ocean stretched before them—the sky was clear, the air crisp, the view breathtaking; standing here felt like being inside a painting, unreal in its beauty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But just then, a message arrived, interrupting Shen Siyuan’s photo-taking.\u003C\u002Fp>",1169,"2026-06-20T03:53:08.657Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","44790e390c5d1dafc146059b0d5c7b878dc5a29f59ef1602c66868fd9595df5a","i-m-not-crazy-this-is-the-emperor-s-banner-chapter-89","i-m-not-crazy-this-is-the-emperor-s-banner-chapter-87",623,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fi-m-not-crazy-this-is-the-emperor-s-banner-cover.jpg"]