Against the Algorithm

Chapter 58: Measured Steps

He cut her off. Not sharply. Not with words. But with his arms. He pulled her in tighter, lifting his hand to cradle the back of her head as he pressed a kiss into her hair. "Yao." Her name alone was enough to still her. "I'm not upset," he said, quiet and certain. "Not even a little." She didn't move, but he could feel the way her shoulders eased, just a little. "I know you trust me," he continued. "And I know what it means that you're even thinking about this at all." He shifted slightly, just enough to look down at her. "You should pick whoever makes you feel safe," he said. "Whoever can protect what matters to you, even when you're not in the room."

Yao looked up at him, her eyes wide and shining. "...You'd still help me anyway, wouldn't you?"

He smiled, small and honest. "I already am."

Yao's body had stilled again. Not out of tension now but deep thought. She stayed curled beside him on the couch, her hand resting lightly over his chest, fingers brushing against the fabric of his shirt in small, nervous patterns. He didn't speak immediately, letting her sit in the question she'd already dared to ask.

But after a quiet moment, he exhaled, low and steady, then shifted slightly beneath her. "Let's look at it," he murmured. "Carefully."

She blinked up at him.

He gave her a faint nod. "Both options. My father, or Chen Kaya."

Yao's eyes dropped to the blanket again, but she didn't hide. She nodded slowly.

Sicheng brushed his hand along her back, palm warm, grounding. "My father," he began, "has a lot of strengths. You know that. He understands structure. Influence. Political positioning. If things get difficult, he's the kind of person people listen to before they even ask why."

Yao nodded again, quietly.

"But..." he added, voice quieter now, "he has one very big con. Probably the biggest one." He felt her breath catch. "His name is already deep in OPL," Sicheng said softly. "Both of his sons play professionally. One of them owns one of the most powerful E-Sports teams in the country—maybe even in Asia. And my mother," he gave a faint sigh "she may not hold an official title, but no one in the industry ignores her. She's on the Board. Just not on paper."

Yao's brows drew together.

Sicheng didn't rush her. He let her absorb that. Then added, "So no matter how honest his intentions are, he's connected. Anyone looking for a reason to discredit your position will latch onto that." Yao's fingers tightened slightly in his shirt. He reached up and gently brushed her hair behind her ear. "And then there's Chen Kaya."

Yao glanced up at him, more unsure here.

"She has a completely different profile," he said. "She's never once intervened in anything related to Jinyang or YQCB. She's made it clear to the business world that her career is her own, her decisions are clean, and no one—not her husband, not her sister-in-law—gets special treatment." He paused. "And she's not connected to OPL. Not directly. She's not part of the league, she doesn't sit on any shadow committees, she's never even stepped foot into the YQCB base."

Yao blinked at that. "She hasn't?"

Sicheng shook his head once. "Not even once. Everything she touches in business is held at arm's length from her personal life. People trust her neutrality. Which means if she becomes your proxy... no one can accuse her of being biased or strategically placed." Sicheng's voice dropped again, softer now. "She's the safer option. And no one will see her coming."

Yao stayed quiet for a moment, processing. Then she murmured, her voice small, "But your father..."

"We'll still talk to him. Ask his opinion. Let him know what's happening. He'll help. You don't need to name him to get his protection." Sicheng said gently as he held her close to his side. She let out a small, relieved breath. Sicheng kissed the top of her head, his hand trailing gently down her arm. "You don't have to decide tonight," he whispered. "But when you do... you won't do it alone."