[{"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-89":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},2291429,4480,"Chapter 89","i-m-not-crazy-this-is-the-emperor-s-banner-chapter-89",89,"\u003Cp>“Wait a moment, I’ll reply to a message.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Who is it? Such a buzzkill.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ruan Hongzhuang walked back and casually said one sentence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A friend. I’d made plans with him today, but since I’m on a date with you, I’ve just stood him up,” Shen Siyuan said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon hearing this, Ruan Hongzhuang didn’t press further; they had only just met and weren’t close enough to ask personal questions freely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m waiting for you at Blue Sea Internet Cafe. I’ve already turned on the machine. Hurry up.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hong Wenqing’s message carried a hint of urgency.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So early in the morning, he went to an internet cafe—after all these years, he really hasn’t changed his ways.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Not going. On a date.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With Hong Wenqing, Shen Siyuan didn’t hold back—he spoke plainly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hahaha.gif.” Hong Wenqing sent a laughing emoji.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You? On a date? Don’t make me laugh.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re looking down on me?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yeah, I am looking down on you. Come quick, don’t waste time—I’m today organizing a 16-player dungeon run, and I’ll bring you along. You still have plenty of achievements left, right? Let’s do them together—maybe you’ll even get a divine gear…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I really am on a date. If you don’t believe me, I’ll send you a photo.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Siyuan turned to look at Ruan Hongzhuang beside him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I said I’m on a date, but my friend doesn’t believe me. Can I take a photo and send it over? Don’t worry—I won’t show my face.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why not show your face? Because I’m not good-looking enough?” Ruan Hongzhuang smiled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She then leaned in and linked arms with Shen Siyuan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s not what I meant.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Take it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ruan Hongzhuang tilted her head toward Shen Siyuan and flashed a bright smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She understood perfectly what Shen Siyuan meant, but her personality was straightforward—she disliked childish pretense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If they were dating, there was no need to hide it—let the world see them openly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She’d taken plenty of photos today and planned to post them on her Moments—she had no intention of concealing her feelings at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since Ruan Hongzhuang didn’t mind, Shen Siyuan took two photos of them showing their faces and sent them over.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And then—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And then Hong Wenqing fell silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What did he say?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ruan Hongzhuang was curious about her friend’s reaction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She was confident in her looks—she’d surely make Shen Siyuan look impressive in front of his friend.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing no response for a long while, Shen Siyuan said, “Forget him. Let’s keep taking photos.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the moment he finished speaking, Hong Wenqing’s WeChat message arrived again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re dead.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ruan Hongzhuang leaned over curiously, then burst into laughter, revealing a row of white teeth. She thought she was being too rude, so she covered her mouth—but the laughter wouldn’t stop.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Do you and your friend always talk like this?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We were college roommates and lived in the same dorm. After graduation, we’ve kept in touch, so our bond is naturally stronger than with others.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he spoke, Shen Siyuan sent another message to Hong Wenqing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Little Hong, withdraw. Don’t disturb my peace. (Kick him away.gif)”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After sending the WeChat message, he immediately muted Hong Wenqing’s notifications and pretended nothing had happened, continuing his date with Ruan Hongzhuang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Is this okay? This way, we capture the sea behind us, and the trees below the hill are included in the frame too…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ruan Hongzhuang had great camera sense—as if born to be the center of attention.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sixty percent of Shen Siyuan’s phone photos were of her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But this time, Shen Siyuan shifted the lens slightly to the right, because a mother and son had entered the frame.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ruan Hongzhuang seemed to sense Shen Siyuan’s gaze and turned her eyes toward the side too—she saw a boy leaning on the railing, staring blankly at the sea.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>More accurately, he was a teenager—fifteen or sixteen years old, wearing a black sports jersey, black sun-protective arm sleeves, a large backpack slung over one shoulder, and a water bottle hanging diagonally across his chest. His skin was dark, as if he’d traveled far.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Do you know him?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ruan Hongzhuang walked back and whispered in Shen Siyuan’s ear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Siyuan shook his head. “No.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But his gaze fixed on the woman beside the boy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The woman was young, no more than thirty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perhaps because of Ruan Hongzhuang’s movement, or perhaps because Ruan Hongzhuang herself was so striking, she noticed them and glanced over.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But that glance revealed the young man seemed to smile at her—she thought she’d imagined it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Most people would have let it go, dismissed it, and gone on with their business.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But she wasn’t human—others couldn’t see her, so she had far fewer inhibitions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She walked straight over, wanting to see what the young man had taken a photo of—she’d noticed he’d been aiming the camera toward them; perhaps her son was in the shot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Throughout this journey, her greatest regret was that her son had so few photos.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Siyuan had indeed taken one photo of the boy: gazing at the sea, his eyes melancholy, his brow knotted as if burdened by an unbreakable sorrow, a strand of sunlight falling on his face—yet somehow symbolizing a bright future, all suffering destined to become the past.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ruan Hongzhuang glanced once, then moved on—she was drawn to a wild guava tree beyond the railing, its branches stretching inward, blooming with cream-colored flowers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So when the woman leaned forward to look, Shen Siyuan asked directly: “How’s it look?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Very nice. My son’s handsome,” the woman replied casually.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then she realized and widened her eyes, staring at Shen Siyuan in shock: “You’re talking to me?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then he realized and widened his eyes, staring at Shen Siyuan in shock: “Are you talking to me?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You can see me?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The woman was both startled and delighted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Siyuan gave a slight nod, then turned to Ruan Hongzhuang, who was crouched by the railing, studying the wild guava blossoms: “Tilt your head slightly to the right.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He added softly: “Of course I can see you. Just speak—I’ll listen. Don’t want anyone thinking I’m crazy.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then he added softly: “Of course I can see you—just say what you need to say, so no one thinks I’m crazy.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clearly, this was the first time she’d met someone who could see her—and speak to her. She was deeply moved.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So Shen Siyuan took photos of Ruan Hongzhuang while listening to the woman’s story.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The woman was Chen Haiyan; the boy was her son, Zhou Jinbei. He’d just finished junior high and would enter high school next year, and was currently cycling around the island.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But due to family circumstances, he didn’t plan to attend high school, which worried Chen Haiyan deeply.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Haiyan didn’t know Shen Siyuan’s background, so she spoke only briefly, avoiding deeper personal details.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“He’s too young to skip school.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Who says it isn’t? But I died early, and his father doesn’t care for him. He’s actually a good student,” Chen Haiyan said, her expression tinged with regret but no deep sorrow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Do you have anything you want to tell him?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Siyuan murmured, eyes fixed on his phone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Can you deliver a message to my son for me?” Chen Haiyan asked, surprised and hopeful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Will he hear me if I deliver it? He might think I’m a fraud or crazy.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Haiyan’s expression darkened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“These things are best said by you directly,” Shen Siyuan said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“As for these matters, it’s best you tell him yourself,” Shen Siyuan said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Haiyan was puzzled, then her eyes widened slowly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You mean… I should speak to him myself? But he can’t see me or hear me…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Haiyan wasn’t foolish—she spoke these words, yet looked at Shen Siyuan with hopeful expectation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Siyuan could see her and speak to her—he must be someone with ability. Perhaps he could make her son see her too.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Shen Siyuan didn’t answer, because Ruan Hongzhuang had walked over.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Shen Siyuan did not answer her, because Ruan Hongzhuang had come over.\u003C\u002Fp>",1333,"2026-06-20T03:53:08.657Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","b57ef651d114aef5c05764e41e02a0820a93eca1d099b00624b56340a87b40c3","i-m-not-crazy-this-is-the-emperor-s-banner-chapter-90","i-m-not-crazy-this-is-the-emperor-s-banner-chapter-88",623,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fi-m-not-crazy-this-is-the-emperor-s-banner-cover.jpg"]