Against the Algorithm

Chapter 1: Variables and Consequences

Ai Jia cleared his throat, breaking the silence. "Didn't think we'd run into you guys," he said, his voice easy, casual, though there was a flicker of something amused beneath his tone. "Didn't mean to interrupt."

Sicheng didn't answer right away. He was still watching her, his expression unreadable, his focus unwavering. Yao felt her breath catch, her grip tightening around the fabric of her sleeve, her heart hammering in her chest for reasons she couldn't quite name.

"Who's this?" Sicheng finally asked, his voice smooth but carrying the kind of quiet authority that left little room for anything but the truth.

Ai Jia hesitated for only a second before answering. "Tong Yao," he said simply. "She's a friend."

"A friend?" Sicheng echoed, the words rolling off his tongue with slow, deliberate weight. His gaze never left her, and the way he said it made something deep in Yao's chest tighten.

Jinyang, ever perceptive, smirked. "Not what you expected, is it?"

Sicheng didn't respond to that. Instead, he took a step forward, not aggressive, not imposing, just enough to close the distance ever so slightly, just enough that Yao felt the shift in the air between them. "You're not a fangirl." It wasn't a question. It was an observation. A realization.

Yao swallowed hard, forcing herself to meet his gaze again, though her voice was barely above a whisper when she answered. "No."

Sicheng's expression didn't change, but there was something in his eyes, something dark, something intrigued, something that sent a warmth curling low in her stomach in a way she didn't quite understand.

Yue, ever the one to break the tension, crossed his arms as he tilted his head slightly, his sharp gaze flicking between Ai Jia and Jinyang before settling on Yao with mild curiosity. "We've met Jinyang before," he said, his voice carrying the casual ease of someone making an offhand observation, "but we've never seen you around. Where've you been hiding?"

Yao, feeling the weight of too many eyes on her again, instinctively curled her fingers tighter around the fabric of her sleeve, her gaze briefly dropping to the ground before flickering back up. There was no malice in Yue's question, only curiosity, but that didn't make it any easier to answer. Her voice was barely above a whisper when she finally spoke.

"Tsinghua University." It was simple. Direct. But the moment the words left her lips, she felt the shift in the air—not dramatic, not overwhelming, but enough to make her want to shrink under their scrutiny.

Yue raised his brows slightly, visibly impressed. "Tsinghua, huh?" He let out a low whistle. "So, you're a genius, then?"

Yao immediately shook her head, her face warming. "No, just... I study a lot." she murmured, her voice almost lost in the space between them.

Ming, who had been quiet up until now, exchanged a glance with Sicheng, his lips twitching slightly in amusement. "Smart and shy," he mused. "That's new."

Sicheng, however, said nothing. He just continued watching her, his gaze dark, unreadable, as if turning over a thought in his mind that no one else could see.

And Yao, feeling that gaze like a tangible weight against her skin, wasn't sure whether she wanted to run or stay.

Jinyang, ever the one to revel in moments like these, let out a sharp laugh, shaking her head as she nudged Ai Jia. "Oh, you guys have no idea," she said, eyes dancing with amusement. "Not only is she at Tsinghua, but she's on her way to getting her Ph.D. in Data Analysis and Technology." There was a brief beat of silence, the weight of that statement settling in before Jinyang, with all the flair of someone dropping the ultimate punchline, smirked and added, "And she's tacking on Gaming Strategic Analysis for OPL because apparently being a regular genius wasn't enough."