Against the Algorithm

Chapter 1: Variables and Consequences

Nope. She was done.

She didn't hear the way Ai Jia snorted, still clearly amused by the entire thing. She didn't see the way Jinyang smirked, utterly entertained by the chaos she had helped create. And most importantly, she didn't witness the exact moment Lu Sicheng's expression dropped from passive intrigue to something cold, sharp, and lethal.

But Ai Jia and Jinyang certainly did.

"You two," Sicheng's voice cut through the air like a knife, low and dangerously controlled, "need to learn when to shut the hell up." The amusement on Ai Jia's face flickered, but before he could even get a word out, Sicheng continued, his voice dropping further, his amber eyes burning into them with quiet fury. "That was not your information to give," he said, each word precise, slow, and terrifyingly steady. "You don't spill your friend's secrets like that. You don't expose something personal just because you think it's funny." His gaze flicked to Ai Jia first, sharp as a blade. "You especially," he added, his voice coated in ice, "should know better." Ai Jia opened his mouth, likely to defend himself, but Sicheng didn't give him the chance. "You embarrassed her," he stated, his tone cold enough to send a chill down everyone's spine. "And if you don't see the problem with that, then maybe you don't know her as well as you think you do."

Silence.

Ai Jia's jaw tensed, his usual easy-going demeanor flickering as he shifted on his feet, looking slightly uncomfortable for the first time. Jinyang, though still wearing the ghost of a smirk, exhaled quietly, clearly aware that Sicheng wasn't just pissed—he was warning them.

Meanwhile, the rest of ZGDX stood frozen, watching their captain unleash a level of quiet fury none of them had expected. Yue, who had been grinning moments before, sobered slightly, his expression unreadable. Lao K exchanged a wary glance with Pang. Even Ming, usually unfazed by anything, remained silent.

Sicheng's gaze flickered down the road where Yao had disappeared, his jaw tightening slightly. Then, without another word, he turned and walked back toward the base, his entire presence still radiating cold irritation.

And Ai Jia, watching him go, finally let out a slow breath, rubbing the back of his neck. "Well," he muttered, more to himself than anyone else. "That definitely hit a nerve."

Yue, arms still crossed, let out a slow, deliberate sigh, his gaze shifting toward Jinyang with something between amusement and disappointment. But then his next words had a far sharper impact than even Sicheng's cold anger. "I guess I'll be giving Chen Kazemi a call about this," he mused, his tone deceptively light, yet carrying a weight that made the air around them drop.

Jinyang, who had been smirking only moments ago, went utterly still. The color visibly drained from her face as she turned sharply toward Yue, eyes widening in something close to panic. "You wouldn't." she blurted out, her voice no longer carrying the amusement from earlier, the teasing edge completely gone.

Yue tilted his head slightly, his smirk returning—only now it was far more wicked. "Wouldn't I?" he countered smoothly. "I mean, I should, right? Since you apparently don't know how to keep your mouth shut about things that aren't yours to share."

Jinyang's hands clenched at her sides, her throat working as she tried to find an argument, but the second Yue had uttered her brother's name, all traces of humor had evaporated.

Ai Jia shifted slightly, clearly sensing the shift in dynamic, but wisely kept his mouth shut this time.

Jinyang knew what this meant. Chen Kazemi wasn't just her older brother, he was the older brother. Overprotective, no-nonsense, and entirely willing to make her life hell if he thought she had crossed a line. And this? Oh, this would absolutely qualify.

Yue watched as realization fully settled into her, his smirk widening just a fraction. "That's what I thought," he murmured, before turning on his heel and heading back toward the base, not bothering to look back as he added, "Better start preparing your excuses, Jinyang."

Jinyang just stood there, visibly tense, her eyes darting toward Ai Jia as if looking for an escape. But there was none. And for the first time all evening, she wasn't laughing.

Three days later, the consequences of their actions came crashing down harder than either Jinyang or Ai Jia had anticipated.

Jinyang sat on the couch in her family's living room, her arms crossed, her expression dark as she stared at the floor, clearly fuming. Across from her, Chen Kazemi leaned against the wall, his arms also crossed, his presence a silent but unrelenting force of judgment.

"So," he finally said, his voice deceptively calm, "you thought it would be funny to publicly humiliate someone you call a friend?"

Jinyang's jaw clenched. "It wasn't like that," she muttered, her tone defensive but lacking her usual confidence.

"Oh?" Chen Kazemi's tone sharpened slightly. "Then tell me what exactly it was like, because from what I heard, you threw your shy, introverted friend to the wolves and laughed while doing it."

Jinyang winced, guilt flickering in her eyes despite her frustration. "I didn't think it'd be that bad—"

"That's the problem," Chen Kazemi cut her off, his voice harder now. "You didn't think. And because of that, you're grounded. No outings, no meetups, and don't even think about stepping near the ZGDX base for the next two weeks. Maybe that'll give you enough time to think about how not to betray your friends next time."

Jinyang's shoulders slumped slightly, the weight of her punishment settling in. She knew arguing was pointless. When Chen Kazemi put his foot down, it stayed down.

But she wasn't the only one suffering.

At the same time, over at YQCB's base, Ai Jia was slumped on the team couch, his head tilted back, groaning loudly as Liang Sheng, his team captain, stood over him, arms crossed, his expression filled with pure disappointment.

"You absolute idiot." Liang Sheng sighed, shaking his head. "You got yourself grounded by me because Lu Sicheng personally called to inform me how much of a moron you were."

Ai Jia groaned again, throwing an arm over his eyes. "It's not that serious," he muttered.

"It is that serious," Liang Sheng shot back. "You embarrassed a girl so badly she ran away. A girl who, by the way, is studying Chessman's strategies. Do you have any idea how insane that is? And instead of respecting that, you outed her in front of him?"

Ai Jia mumbled something incoherent, but Liang Sheng wasn't having it.

"Enjoy your time indoors," the captain said firmly. "Because you're not going anywhere outside of mandatory practices and matches for the next two weeks. Maybe next time, you'll learn how to shut up when it matters."

Ai Jia let out a long, drawn-out sigh, muttering under his breath, "I swear, Sicheng is a menace."

"Yeah," Liang Sheng said, unimpressed. "And now you get to deal with the consequences of underestimating him and angering him."

Notes:

Author's Note!!!: Sorry everyone I was not feeling well and things packed on at work!!!

I have missed you all and worked on this newest one while I was in bed!

Author's Note: The Muse would like to say that all comments, even small ones, are very much welcomed and they very much enjoy reading them!