Against the Algorithm

Chapter 16: Countermeasures

A few hours had passed since the team meeting—since words had been spoken, decisions made, responsibilities claimed—and yet, the quiet tension that still clung to the air in the base made it clear that not everything had been settled. Not everything had been said. Not yet. And Sicheng? He felt it. Deep in his chest, coiled and pressing like a bruise.

Yao was stubborn in that soft, quiet way of hers. Not with defiance. Not with anger. But once she settled into a feeling, once disappointment rooted itself in her, she didn't shake it off easily. She didn't confront. She just... pulled away. And the way she had looked at him earlier—like she couldn't quite understand how someone she believed in could make such a careless choice—that haunted him.

So he got up. Slowly. Deliberately. No fanfare, no announcement. Just movement. A stretch of his arms, a controlled breath, and then he was climbing the stairs, one step at a time, not hesitant—but careful. Because this wasn't something he could treat the way he treated everything else. This wasn't a match. This wasn't strategy. This was her. And she deserved something he rarely gave. An explanation. When he reached her floor, he lifted his hand and knocked—three clean, firm taps against the door.

And when it opened—

His breath caught for just a second.

There she was. Bare-legged, the edges of her sleeping shorts barely peeking beneath the oversized hoodie—his hoodie. The same one she had refused to return, the same one she curled into whenever she needed comfort. She looked half-distracted, the phone to her ear, her brows slightly furrowed in that soft, familiar way that meant someone on the other end was testing her patience. And then he heard it.

"Yao, come on. You rarely hang out with us anymore. You keep blowing us off. How is that fair?"

Ai Jia. His voice. His tone. That blend of whine and wounded entitlement that made Sicheng's jaw tighten almost immediately.

Yao shifted, clearly uncomfortable, rubbing the back of her neck. "Ai Jia, I'm just busy."

But Ai Jia didn't stop. "Busy doing what? You won't even tell us where you're working. You won't even tell us where you're living now."

Sicheng's gaze sharpened. His fingers flexed.

And then—

"Jinyang just wants you to meet someone. She has this guy she thinks would be a good match for you."

That was it. His entire body went still. Cold. Lethal. No visible reaction, but the shift in his presence was immediate.

"Ai Jia, I already told you, I don't want to be set up with anyone. Why do you guys keep pushing this?" Yao sighed, frustration creeping into her voice.

"Because, Yao, you don't even try to meet people. You never date. We're just trying to help you, okay?"

She rubbed her temples, clearly holding back more than she was saying. "I don't need that kind of help."

And that was when Sicheng reached out. With zero hesitation, he plucked the phone right out of her hand, ignoring the startled squeak that left her lips.

"Sicheng—!"

Her hazel eyes went wide, but he wasn't looking at her. Not yet. He brought the phone to his ear, voice low, smooth, and dangerously calm. "She said no."

The line went silent.

Then—Ai Jia's voice again, uncertain now. "Wait... Lu Sicheng?"