The psychic residue of the cafe confrontation lingered with Xiaoyang for the rest of the day, a low-level background process draining his mental resources. He'd managed to extricate himself by claiming he had a "critical system update" to attend to—namely, a long, silent nap in his dorm room. His roommate, Li Hao, was out, presumably on one of his "theorized" dates that would inevitably end in a "practical" disaster. The silence was bliss.
But peace, like a poorly optimized software patch, was always temporary.
The next morning found him in Advanced Algorithms, a class he usually enjoyed for its pure, uncompromising logic. Today, however, it felt like a minefield. Professor Qiang's droning voice was a steady stream of data, but Xiaoyang's attention was fractured.
Su Yuning sat two rows ahead and to the left. Her posture was, as always, ramrod straight, her note-taking a model of efficiency. He found himself watching the back of her head, half-expecting to see a progress bar above it. Her mere presence was a silent critique, a reminder of the recursive function he still needed to refactor. Energy Drain Source Alpha: Operational. Status: Logically Judgmental.
He slumped lower in his seat, applying his Principle. Minimize observable surface area. Reduce chance of eye contact.
It was then that his phone, set to silent, vibrated with a series of violent buzzes against the desk. He glanced down.
Dramaturge Queen (Yuexi): [10:31 AM] SCENE UPDATE! The classroom, post-lecture! The hero, burdened by the weight of his own genius (and a suboptimal code function), is approached by the icy beauty!
Xiaoyang's blood ran cold. He slowly, so as not to attract attention, turned his head a fraction of an inch.
From the back corner of the lecture hall, Chen Yuexi, who was not even in this class but had apparently audited it for "research purposes," gave him a bright, double-thumbs up. She was wearing a baseball cap and large glasses, a truly unconvincing "disguise." Energy Drain Source Beta: Operational. Status: Narratively Intrusive.
He quickly typed a response, his fingers clumsy with panic. Xiaoyang: This is a 300-level CS class. The dramatic potential is negligible. Please cease operations.
Dramaturge Queen (Yuexi): [10:32 AM] AH! The 'Tsundere' denial! A classic! The stage is set!
He put his phone face down, a sense of doom settling over him. The professor's voice faded into a dull hum. He was the protagonist in a play he hadn't auditioned for, being observed by an audience of one very misguided director.
The lecture finally ended. Xiaoyang packed his bag with the speed of a man fleeing a natural disaster. His plan was simple: head to the library, find the most secluded carrel, and become one with the dust mites. A perfect, energy-conserving afternoon.
"Lin Xiaoyang."
The voice was calm, measured, and cut through the post-class chatter like a clean API call. He froze. Su Yuning was standing beside his desk, her tablet held against her chest like a shield.
"Your algorithm from yesterday," she began, without preamble. "I have modeled an alternative solution. Implementing a Dijkstra-inspired pathfinding logic for the 'compatibility search' function, as opposed to your initial brute-force approach, could reduce processing latency by approximately 18.3%."
She presented her tablet. On it was a beautifully rendered flowchart, so elegant and efficient it was almost artistic. Xiaoyang, despite himself, was impressed. This was… genuinely helpful. And it was offered not as a criticism, but as a… collaboration?
Analysis, his brain whirred. Accepting this optimized solution saves me 4-5 hours of recalibration. High energy return on investment. Positive interaction.
"Su Yuning, this is… very efficient. Thank you," he said, the gratitude genuine, if delivered in his typical subdued tone.
A flicker of something—something that wasn't pure logic—crossed her eyes. It was there and gone in a nanosecond. "Acknowledged. It was the optimal course of action. Working with inefficient code is… illogical."
From across the room, Xiaoyang heard a barely suppressed squeal. He didn't need to look to know Chen Yuexi was probably framing the scene with her fingers, tears of joy in her eyes.
"However," Su Yuning continued, her gaze intensifying, "to properly test the integration, a joint debugging session is recommended. The probability of unforeseen errors decreases by 65.1% with real-time, collaborative analysis."
The library carrel vanished from his future. In its place was a vision of hours spent in a lab, under the glare of fluorescent lights, with Su Yuning's binary gaze dissecting every line of his code. The energy cost was staggering.
"Joint… debugging?" he echoed, his voice faint.
"Affirmative. Today. 4:00 PM. Lab 3B." It wasn't a question. It was a system command. "Your schedule, according to the public university server API, is clear."
Before he could formulate a protest—a highly inefficient and likely futile action—she gave a sharp, precise nod and walked away.
Energy Drain Source Alpha: Has initiated a mandatory collaborative process. Estimated duration: 3-5 hours. Energy reserves: Depleting.
He stood there, stunned, the weight of the unscheduled collaboration pressing down on him.
"Wow! A direct invitation to a one-on-one coding session!" Chen Yuexi materialized at his elbow, her "disguise" now discarded. "The 'Study Date' flag has been raised! And she used a data-based approach to confirm your availability! So bold! So modern!"
"It's not a date," Xiaoyang mumbled, slinging his backpack over his shoulder. "It's a mandatory efficiency audit."
"Denial! So cute!" She clapped her hands. "This calls for a new strategy! You can't go in there with stale energy! You need sustenance! A shared meal is the perfect precursor to a collaborative intellectual endeavor!"
His stomach dropped. "Yuexi, no."
"Yuexi, YES! I'll prepare a special, energy-boosting bento for you two! It'll be perfect! The 'Nourishing the Genius' side-plot is a fan favorite!" And with that, she dashed off, a whirlwind of misguided goodwill.
Energy Drain Source Beta: Has initiated a nested, unnecessary sub-quest. Objective: Consume theatrically prepared food. Success probability: Low. Annoyance factor: High.
Defeated, Xiaoyang began the long trek across campus to the library. Maybe he could salvage an hour of silence. He was so lost in calculating the total energy expenditure of his impending afternoon that he didn't notice the small, pastel-clad figure until he almost walked into her.
"Xiaoyang Gege!"
Tang Youyou stood before him, holding her phone out like a divining rod. Her face was etched with concern. "Your aura! It's… it's all over the place! My app shows chaotic spikes of blue (stress) and gray (obligation)!"
"Your app is… surprisingly accurate today, Youyou," he sighed, too tired to employ his Principle.
"I knew it!" she said, her eyes wide. "The frog fluorite wasn't enough! The planetary alignment today is creating a vortex of compulsory energy, especially around collaborative ventures!" She rummaged in her oversized bag and pulled out a small, woven bracelet of red and yellow string. "Here! This is a 'Shackle-Breaking' bracelet! I charmed it myself under the light of last night's waning gibbous moon! It will help you resist unwanted obligations and maintain your personal energy field!"
She thrust it into his hand. It looked flimsy and, frankly, a little cheap. But the intention, however mystically packaged, was oddly perceptive. She was, in her own way, trying to help him conserve energy.
Analysis: Refusing the bracelet will lead to a 15-minute explanation of its cosmic crafting process. Accepting it costs 2 seconds. Optimal choice.
"Thank you, Youyou," he said, slipping the bracelet into his pocket. "I'll… utilize it."
Her face lit up as if he'd given her a diamond. "Really? Oh, I'm so glad! Remember, intent is key! You have to want to break the shackles!" She bounced on her heels. "Okay, I have to go! My crystals told me the campus koi pond is a nexus of positive energy today, and I need to realign my chakras!" With a final wave, she skipped away.
Energy Drain Source Gamma: Operational. Status: Esoterically Supportive.
He finally made it to the library, collapsing into a hard wooden chair. He pulled out the bracelet and looked at it. A "Shackle-Breaking" charm. If only it were that simple. His phone buzzed again.
Dramaturge Queen (Yuexi): [11:17 AM] Bento acquired! Operation 'Fuel the Love Code' is a go! I've even included heart-shaped carrots! Report to Lab 3B at 1600 hours! Over and out!
Xiaoyang closed his eyes. He had a mandatory coding session with a human compiler, a theatrical caterer, and a mystical support system. His EfficientHeart app mockup on his laptop screen seemed to mock him.
He opened his journal.
Observation Log, Entry #2: The three primary environmental variables (Yuning, Yuexi, Youyou) exhibit emergent behavior. They are no longer independent stressors but are beginning to interact, creating synergistic energy drains of catastrophic proportions. The path of least resistance appears to be… surrendering to the flow. A horrifying conclusion.
He put his head down on the cool wood of the desk. 4:00 PM couldn't come soon enough, and yet, he dreaded its arrival with every fiber of his energy-conserving being.