Chapter 9: The Eighth Session (And the FirstchNotices)
Monday.
9:00 a.m.
The pattern arrived.
But something else arrived first.
—
At 8:40 a.m., Xie Yu's phone rang.
He stared at it.
Long.
Suspicious.
"…I don't answer calls," he said.
[This is the Original Host's habit.]
"I am maintaining character."
[The caller ID is relevant.]
"…Define relevant."
[Xie Group Headquarters.]
A pause.
Xie Yu picked up the phone.
"…Hello?"
"Xie Yu."
A deep, controlled voice.
His father.
"…Yes," Xie Yu replied automatically.
"There's been a change in the internship allocation list," the voice said. "A new candidate has been approved."
"…And?"
"You'll be working with her."
A beat.
"…Who."
A brief pause.
Then—
"Shen Cixi."
Silence.
Xie Yu blinked.
"…That was fast."
"Her evaluation scores are exceptional," the voice continued. "She passed three rounds in two days."
"…Two days."
"Yes."
"…That's not normal."
"It's efficient."
The call ended.
Xie Yu stared at the phone.
"…System."
[Yes, Host?]
"…She just secured an internship at Xie Group."
[Correct.]
"…In two days."
[Correct.]
"…That's not possible."
[Unconfirmed.]
"…No," he said slowly. "That's not supposed to happen yet."
A pause.
"…She's moving ahead of the plot."
[Deviation increasing.]
"…Yeah," Xie Yu muttered. "No kidding."
—
9:00 a.m.
Knock.
"Come in."
The door opened.
Shen Cixi stepped in.
Same as always.
But—
Not the same.
There was something—
Different.
Not just sharper.
Not just faster.
Something…
Settled.
Her gaze moved—
To the table.
To the fruit.
Uneven.
Of course.
Paused.
Then—
She looked at him.
"…You didn't change it," she said.
"No."
"…Good."
No pause.
No analysis.
Just—
Acceptance.
Again.
Xie Yu narrowed his eyes.
"…You seem busy."
"Yes."
"…You have four jobs now."
"Yes."
"…And an internship."
A pause.
Just a fraction—
Then—
"Yes," she said.
Xie Yu leaned back slightly.
"…That was fast."
"Yes."
"…Two days."
"Yes."
"…That's not normal."
"It's efficient."
A beat.
"…You're doing that on purpose."
"Yes."
No hesitation.
No denial.
Just—
Yes.
Xie Yu stared at her.
"…Why."
A pause.
Then—
"Sit," she said.
—
They started.
But—
Today—
There was no warm-up.
No pacing.
No gradual increase.
Just—
Immediate pressure.
"Explain this," she said, flipping the notebook open.
Xie Yu looked down—
And frowned.
"…This is even further ahead."
"Yes."
"…You're skipping more."
"Yes."
"…Why."
"Because we don't have time."
Silence.
Xie Yu looked up.
"…We."
"Yes."
"…What do you mean 'we.'"
No answer.
"Explain it," she repeated.
—
He tried.
He really did.
But—
This time—
He didn't keep up.
Not completely.
Not cleanly.
"…Wait," he said, frowning. "This step—"
"Wrong," she said immediately.
"…I'm not finished."
"You don't need to be."
"…That's not how that works."
"It is."
"…No, it—"
"Again," she said, tapping the page.
No pause.
No space.
Just—
Correction.
Xie Yu exhaled sharply.
"…You're pushing too hard."
"No."
"…You are."
"You're slowing down."
A beat.
"…That's because you sped up."
"Yes."
"…That's not balanced."
"It doesn't need to be."
"…It does."
"No."
Silence.
Then—
"Again," she said.
—
The session continued.
Fast.
Relentless.
Unforgiving.
And for the first time—
Xie Yu felt it.
Not just difficulty.
Not just pressure.
Something else.
Something—
Off.
—
An hour in—
He reached for the fruit.
Paused.
Then—
Didn't take it.
He looked at her instead.
She noticed.
Of course she noticed.
Her gaze shifted—
From the notebook—
To him.
"…Why did you stop," she asked.
"…I was going to eat it."
"You didn't."
"…I changed my mind."
A pause.
"…Don't," she said.
Soft.
Immediate.
Xie Yu blinked.
"…Don't what."
"Don't change it."
A beat.
"…It's fruit."
"Yes."
"…I can choose whether to eat it."
"No."
Silence.
Xie Yu stared at her.
"…No?"
"You were going to," she said. "So you should."
"…That's not how decisions work."
"It is."
"…That's—" he stopped. "—that's not normal."
A pause.
Then—
"I don't like it when you change it," she said.
Quiet.
Simple.
Direct.
The words landed—
Differently.
Not hidden.
Not deflected.
Just—
There.
Xie Yu looked at her.
Really looked at her.
"…Why."
Silence.
Then—
"You'll understand," she said.
—
He didn't push.
Didn't argue.
He just—
Reached out.
Took a slice.
Uneven.
Bit into it.
Chewed.
Swallowed.
"…There," he said.
Shen Cixi watched him.
Then—
She reached out.
Took a slice.
The one next to his.
Ate it.
Without looking away.
"…Good," she said.
The same word as before.
But—
Different now.
—
The rest of the session—
Was worse.
Not academically.
He could still follow.
Barely.
But—
The atmosphere.
The tension.
The way she watched him now—
Not just tracking mistakes.
Tracking—
Everything.
—
At the end—
The notebook closed.
Abrupt.
"That's enough."
Xie Yu leaned back.
Exhaled.
"…You're different."
"No."
"…You are."
"I'm not."
"…You said 'we don't have time.'"
A pause.
"…That's correct."
"…We?"
"Yes."
"…Explain."
"No."
"…You're hiding something."
"No."
"…You are."
Silence.
Then—
"You're falling behind," she said.
"…Because you sped up."
"Yes."
"…That's your fault."
"No."
"…It is."
"You should adapt."
"…You're not leaving room to adapt."
"You don't need it."
A beat.
"…You're very sure of that."
"Yes."
—
She packed her bag.
Faster.
More precise.
No pauses.
No hesitation.
Like—
Every second mattered.
Xie Yu watched.
"…You're in a hurry again."
"Yes."
"…Where."
"Work."
"…All of them."
"Yes."
"…That's not sustainable."
"It is."
"…No," he said quietly. "It's not."
A pause.
Then—
"It will be," she said.
—
She stood.
He stood.
They faced each other.
Again.
But—
This time—
The space felt smaller.
Tighter.
Like something was closing in.
—
She reached out.
Took a slice.
Uneven.
Of course.
"…For the lesson," she said.
Xie Yu watched her.
"…You always take one."
"Yes."
"…You always match mine."
"Yes."
"…You always control the pattern."
A pause.
Then—
"Yes," she said.
No denial.
No deflection.
Just—
Yes.
Xie Yu stilled.
"…Why."
Silence.
Longer this time.
Then—
"…Because it's mine," she said.
Soft.
Quiet.
Certain.
The words—
Didn't fit.
Not logically.
Not normally.
But—
They stayed.
—
She turned.
Walked to the door.
Paused.
"…Don't fall behind," she said.
"…You keep saying that."
"Yes."
"…Why."
A pause.
Then—
"…Because you won't be able to catch up," she said.
"…To what."
Silence.
Then—
"…To me."
The door opened.
Closed.
—
Silence.
Heavy.
Still.
Wrong.
—
Xie Yu didn't move.
Didn't sit.
Didn't think.
For a long moment.
Then—
"…System," he said slowly.
[Yes, Host?]
"…She said the pattern is hers."
[Correct.]
"…She said I can't fall behind her."
[Correct.]
"…She said we don't have time."
[Correct.]
A pause.
"…That's not about studying."
[Unconfirmed.]
"…No," he said quietly. "It's not."
He looked at the table.
At the fruit.
At the missing slices.
Then—
Slowly—
He sat down.
"…She's not just accelerating."
[Correct.]
"…She's aiming."
A beat.
"…At something specific."
Silence.
The system didn't answer.
—
Downstairs—
Shen Cixi stepped out of the building.
Phone in hand.
Messages stacking rapidly.
"Offer letter confirmed."
"Advance payment processed."
"Trial slot secured."
Her fingers moved.
Fast.
Precise.
Efficient.
Her reflection passed by glass again.
Calm.
Composed.
Unchanged.
But her eyes—
Focused.
Locked.
"…Almost," she murmured.
Soft.
Certain.
Her grip tightened slightly around her phone.
"…Just a little faster."
A pause.
Then—
Quieter—
"…before he leaves."
She didn't slow down.
Didn't stop.
Didn't look back.
And somewhere above—
In a penthouse where patterns had stopped being harmless—
Xie Yu finally realized—
He was no longer the one being tested.