"Big brother, my homework's already packed, and my pens and textbooks are all in my bag," Chen Qian pouted, clearly unimpressed by being dragged back inside. She had no idea why her brother was acting so strangely.
"Here's an idea, sis—what if you studied at home today?
I am a college student, after all. Tutoring a second-grader should be a breeze, right?
And if you behave, I'll let you play video games for half an hour and buy you fried chicken."
Tricking worldly adults might be tough, but fooling an eight-year-old? Child's play—especially with the "sibling bond" buff. Chen Qian hesitated, but the allure of games and fried chicken won her over. The deal was struck smoothly.
Chen Luren found his sister's homeroom teacher's number on her student ID and called in a fake parent's excuse. Skipping a college class? No big deal.
And so, the odd pair settled in for a lazy day at home. As a "responsible" big brother, Chen Luren assigned heaps of homework, then surrendered the game console with a casual "Finish this first, then you can play." His sister shot him a "you're the worst" glare, but snatched the controller eagerly.
Chen Luren flopped onto the couch, scrolling through his phone. "So the danger was external, and my sister was the target," he mused. "But when I kept her home, the crisis vanished..." A thrill of pride crept in. "Not bad—my upgraded mind scored us a safety win." The ability to sense danger was proving useful.
An hour later, a local news alert on Douyin grabbed his attention.
[Longquan Observer... Half an hour ago, a severe traffic accident occurred on Dong'an Road heading toward Xiangyang Bridge. A bus swerved to avoid a funeral procession, crashed into the bridge railing, and plunged into the river.]
[Relevant departments have launched a rescue operation. Longquan Observer will continue to update the situation.]
The live feed showed police tape cordoning off Xiangyang Bridge, divers and rescue teams swarming the scene. Chen Luren jolted upright.
That's the exact route to my sister's school.
And the accident time matches her usual commute.
A chill ran down his spine. If he hadn't sensed the danger... He didn't want to imagine.
Just then, the system's whisper echoed in his mind:
*[Congratulations! You successfully avoided a crisis, earning double Survival Experience +40...] *
"Wait—real-world crises give experience? I thought this system was stuck in the Eerie World." A new thought struck him. "What if this accident is linked to eeriness, and my intuition let me dodge it?"
It made sense. Since his sister was the primary target and he'd "saved" her, the double reward fit.
All morning, Chen Luren obsessively scoured accident updates. The system's reward hinted at eerie involvement, a prospect that set his cautious nature on high alert. "Know thy enemy," he thought, recalling Final Destination—those who cheat death are always hunted. He kept a mental eye on his sister, fearing the "reaper" might try again.
Thus, to ensure his family's safety, Chen Luren was determined to rule out any such possibility.
Time flew by, and by noon, his sister—starving from "studying" (and gaming)—finally piped up.
"Big brother, I'm hungry... I want fried chicken!" Chen Qian put down her controller and nestled into Chen Luren's arms.
"Finished your homework?"
"Yep!"
"Alright, I'll order takeout." Chen Luren shot his sister a knowing glance and opened the food delivery app.
Just then, his mother called.
????
"Why's Mom calling now?" Chen Luren wondered, pressing a finger to his lips at his sister. "It's Mom. Don't make a sound—she'll scold me if she finds out I didn't take you to school."
His sister nodded vigorously, clearly aware they were "skipping class."
"Hey, Mom. You called right after my class ended—what's up?" Chen Luren feigned nonchalance.
"Thank goodness, son! Are you really okay...?"
"I saw the news.
A bus on your sister's route to school crashed into the river. Since you were taking her today, and the timing matched, I had to check on you."
Hearing Chen Luren's voice, his mother audibly relaxed.
"I saw the news too.
Congrats, Mrs. Chen—your kids had good luck. We took a taxi instead," he joked.
Though they'd dodged disaster, Chen Luren wasn't about to admit to faking a parent's excuse and letting his sister skip school. Explaining that would be a headache.
"Good, good to hear."
"Okay, I need to get back to work. Bye."
Assured her children were safe, his mother chirped happily, ready to hang up.
"Wait, Mom!" Chen Luren interjected.
"Let me pick up sis after school today. Y'know... I'm the lucky one."
He couldn't risk his mother showing up at school and exposing the lie.
"Sure... Just stay safe. I'll cook you something nice tonight."
His mother agreed and ended the call.
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