Against the Algorithm

Chapter 5: The Fine Print of Belonging

Pang grinned. "And we didn't even have to bribe her with food."

Yue, smirking, leaned toward Sicheng. "You got anything to say, Gege?"

Yao whitened.

Sicheng's gaze snapped to Yue in a flash of warning, but instead of biting back, he simply exhaled, his fingers tapping once against the table before his amber eyes flickered toward Yao again. Then—smoothly, easily, with absolutely no hesitation—he picked up the contract, flipped to the last page, and signed it himself. Finalizing it. Sealing it. Making it real. And when he looked back at her, something dangerous and knowing burned behind his gaze. "You're ours now," he murmured, voice low.

Yao's breath hitched. And somehow—some very terrifying, unexplainable way—she knew. That wasn't just a contract. That was a claim.

Just as the weight of Sicheng's words settled over Yao like a tangible force, the door to the common area burst open with a level of energy that shattered the tension.

Rui.

Rui, who had been waiting for this moment. Rui, who immediately spotted the signed contract on the table and let out a gasp so dramatic that even Yue looked impressed.

"Oh my god!" Rui exclaimed, practically floating across the room as he zoomed toward Yao, his eyes shining with unfiltered excitement. "You signed? You actually signed?!"

Yao, already overwhelmed, barely had time to nod before Rui was suddenly in front of her, his hands on her shoulders as he beamed.

"My dear, precious new team member!" Rui gushed, squeezing her shoulders like a proud parent. "Welcome to ZGDX!"

Yao, thoroughly flustered, could barely get out a response. "I—um—"

But Rui wasn't done. "Oh no, no, no, you must be exhausted!" He fussed, already circling her like he was checking for signs of malnourishment. "Have you eaten? Have you slept well? Your under-eye circles—do you need a skincare routine? Oh my god, do you even have proper stress relief techniques—"

Yao let out a tiny squeak, eyes darting to the others for help, but Yue? Yue was laughing too hard to even breathe. Pang and Lao K were both grinning, Lao Mao was looking away with a snicker, while Ming was watching the spectacle unfold like this was exactly what he had been expecting.

Meanwhile, Sicheng?

Sicheng exhaled deeply, rubbing his temple as if this entire situation was giving him a migraine. "Rui," he said, his voice edged with clear exasperation.

Rui ignored him.

He was too busy fussing over Yao, brushing nonexistent dust off her sweater before gasping, again. "You're going to need a ZGDX jacket!" Rui declared, already spinning toward the storage room. "And a proper workspace! We must set up your equipment—OH! And you'll need a full team introduction on socials—"

Yao, at this point, was visibly drowning. "I—I can do all that later—" she tried, but Rui would not be stopped.

"No, no, no! This is very important! You are one of us now, and I refuse to have you looking anything less than perfect on your first official day!"

Yao pressed her lips together, her face burning from the sheer intensity of Rui's mother-hen instincts.

Sicheng, done with all of this, finally sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "She's staying for dinner." he stated flatly.

"I—what?" Yao whipped her head toward him.

Sicheng's amber eyes flickered to her, unbothered. "You'll stay," he repeated. "Eat. Then go home."