Against the Algorithm

Chapter 64: Before the Game Began

Summary: In rooms full of silence and expectation, she was never loud—but she was noticed. Watched. Protected. Underestimated. And even then, before names held weight and futures were set in motion, something unshakable had already begun to form: the quiet certainty that one day, she would no longer need defending.

Notes:

Author's Note: FLASHBACK SCENES!

Chapter Sixty-Four

First Flashback:

The Chen manor had always carried a quiet sort of authority.

The kind that didn't need gold accents or marble floors to intimidate. Everything was elegant, sharp, understated in a way that whispered old money and absolute control. And Kaya, dressed in her usual slate-toned blouse and black slacks, had been standing in the atrium reviewing a set of reports when she first heard it. The unmistakable sound of her sister-in-law's voice carrying down the hall.

"—just behave, okay? I swear to God if you try to vanish behind the staircase again I'm going to sit on you—"

The response was muffled. Smaller. Softer.

And full of quiet dread.

"...You said it was just lunch."

"It is just lunch," Jinyang said breezily, dragging someone around the corner with a look of absolute triumph. "Except now you're meeting my brother and Kaya. Best friend rights. Executive approval."

Kaya raised an eyebrow as the two stepped into view.

Jinyang was glowing, hair pulled back into a high ponytail, one hand latched firmly around the wrist of a girl who looked like she'd been ambushed by sunlight. She was tiny—painfully small compared to Jinyang—wrapped in a pale seafoam sweater that was at least two sizes too big, the sleeves covering her hands completely. Her jeans were plain, sneakers clean but old, and her platinum-silver hair was braided over one shoulder in a neat, cautious line. Her eyes were downcast, but even in that brief moment, Kaya noticed their color—hazel, clear, wide, like she was seeing too much and trying to survive all of it. She stood stiffly as Jinyang tugged her to a stop beside her.

"Everyone, this is Tong Yao," Jinyang announced, clearly pleased with herself. "My best friend. You're all going to love her. And if you don't—tough."

The girl made a small sound of protest and glanced up at Kaya like she was preparing to be judged.

Kaya studied her for one long moment.

She took in the posture, the folded shoulders, the way the girl's braid was half shielding her face, the nervous twist of the sleeves between her fingers and recognized the kind of shyness that wasn't performative. It wasn't insecurity. It was quiet armor. Tong Yao wasn't weak. She was watching.

Kaya's eyes narrowed just slightly. "How old are you?"

Yao blinked once, startled by the directness. "Eighteen, ma'am."

The ma'am made Kaya twitch, but she let it pass. "Where do you go to school?"

"...Tsinghua," Yao said quietly as she fidgeted.