Against the Algorithm

Chapter 3: Lines Crossed, Loyalties Claimed

Yue smirked. "So," he drawled, his tone utterly too entertained given the situation. "Is she gonna be my sister-in-law or what?"

Sicheng's head turned slowly, his amber eyes narrowing, a flicker of irritation barely hidden beneath the surface.

Yue, thoroughly enjoying himself, lifted a brow. "What? Too soon?" He gestured vaguely toward the door. "Because I dunno, man—seems like she already belongs to you in your head."

Sicheng exhaled slowly, tilting his head slightly, his gaze unreadable. "You want to get benched?"

Yue grinned. "Absolutely not." But he didn't stop. Didn't let up. Because for once, he saw something in his brother—something human, something real, something not controlled and distant. He saw the way Sicheng had watched her. The way his body had gone completely still when she admitted what she had done. The way his voice had dropped into something dangerous when he reminded her that she had run to them. And Yue, who had spent his entire life trying to get a read on his brother's emotions, finally—finally—had something solid. "You like her," he said, grinning wider now.

Sicheng's expression didn't change. But he didn't deny it either. Instead, he simply turned away, picked up Ai Jia's phone from the table, and headed for the exit, his voice calm, steady, unshaken. "Don't say stupid things, Yue."

The door clicked shut behind him.

And Yue—smirking, entirely too satisfied with himself—let out a short laugh. "Oh yeah," he muttered to himself. "That's definitely my future sister-in-law." The amusement on his face faded the moment the door closed, leaving him alone in the now-empty conference room. His smirk lingered for half a second before it flattened, his expression shifting into something more serious as he exhaled, rubbing his temples. Because now that all the teasing was out of the way, there was one big problem left hanging in the air.

Ai Jia.

Yue's eyes flickered toward the phone Sicheng had taken with him, the one Yao had stolen, and he let out a low whistle. "Yeah... this is gonna be a mess."

Because Ai Jia, despite all his flaws, wasn't stupid. The second he realized his phone was gone—the second he figured out who took it—he was going to come looking for her. And if there was one thing Yue knew about guys like Ai Jia, it was that they didn't like being made a fool of. And Yao? Oh, she had made a fool of him. A small, introverted girl had outright stolen from him, outmaneuvered him, and delivered the evidence straight to his rivals—his biggest competition.

Yue leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees, a deep frown settling over his face. "Yeah, we're gonna have to deal with that." He didn't know how, yet. But one thing was certain—Ai Jia was coming. And if Sicheng's reaction tonight was anything to go by, if Ai Jia so much as breathed in Yao's direction the wrong way...It wouldn't be his fight to handle. It would be Sicheng's and Yue wasn't sure anyone was ready for that.

Back at the ZGDX base, the atmosphere was heavy, tense with the weight of what had just unfolded. The entire team—Lao K, Lao Mao, Pang, and Ming—were already gathered in the common area, their expressions ranging from curiosity to wariness as Yue and Sicheng walked in.

Rui, arms crossed, was the first to speak. "So?" he asked, his sharp gaze flickering between the two brothers. "Are we dealing with an internal disaster, or are we about to go to war with someone?"

Yue sighed, rubbing his temple. "A little bit of both, actually."

That immediately got everyone's attention.

Sicheng didn't waste time. He walked to the center of the room, his posture sharp, his tone cold and clipped as he spoke. "We have a problem," he stated. "Ai Jia's phone is currently in our possession."

Lao Mao blinked. "What?"

Lao K straightened. "How the hell did we get Ai Jia's—"

"Yao stole it."

That shut everyone up.

Ming, who had been quietly watching, leaned forward, his brows lifting in mild surprise. "She stole it?"

Yue, lips twitching in amusement despite the severity of the situation, nodded. "Oh yeah. Walked right up to Ai Jia, found out he was hiding in the damn bathroom, realized he wasn't gonna do a damn thing, so she took his phone and ran."

Silence.

Then—

Lao Mao let out a low whistle. "Alright, I gotta admit, I did not see that coming."

Lao K shook his head, still wrapping his mind around it. "And Ai Jia? He just let her?"

Yue scoffed. "Not exactly. He didn't even realize until it was too late. By the time he figures it out, she's already handed it over, the evidence is secured, and we've got everything we need to clear my name."

Ming, ever the tactician, exhaled, rubbing his chin. "Which means we now have a very pissed off Ai Jia about to come looking for his missing phone."

Sicheng, who had been silent until now, finally spoke again. "It doesn't matter. Because none of you are going to say a word." he said smoothly, his tone calm but absolute.

A pause.

Ming lifted a brow. "You're issuing a gag order?"

"Yes." Sicheng's eyes flickered toward him, sharp and unwavering.

Another pause.

Then Lao K let out a low chuckle. "Yeah, alright. That makes sense."

Lao Mao smirked. "Yeah, 'cause let's be real—if Ai Jia finds out where his phone actually is, he's not just gonna go after her."

Pang, stretching his arms, nodded. "He's gonna come for us."

Sicheng's gaze darkened. "Let him try."

And that?

That was the final warning. No one said a word after that. Because Ai Jia might've been a problem, but Sicheng? He was the solution.

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!