0.05.
That's 1 hour and 12 minutes.
If this superpower isn't fake, then at around eight o'clock tonight…
She will die.
Impossible.
It's not that I'm saying my neighbor couldn't possibly die.
It's that this ability absolutely can't be fake; the sudden death of Atai and the previously squirming Boston lobster both prove that the matter of fate is utterly reliable.
My neighbor is indeed destined to meet her end in a bit over an hour, like a lamp running out of oil.
Click, the door lock opens, the girl quickly turned her head away, opened the door, and entered her room.
Before Chen Yuan could do anything to intervene.
Frowning, he wondered what kind of situation would cause his neighbor to die in a bit over an hour.
There are two possibilities.
The first, she dies at home.
The second, she goes out and dies somewhere else.
I'll ignore the myriad ways one can die outside for the time being.
If it's at home, then there are only so many options—death by electrocution, gas explosion, fire, or sudden cardiac arrest.
"…No."
Chen Yuan shook his head, denying his own overly decisive statement.
Deaths at home can also be bizarre in numerous ways.
Like suicide, for instance.
Click, Chen Yuan opened his room door, carelessly set down the Boston lobster, then sat on the bed, his expression somewhat grave.
He had said before he would put aside his savior complex, respecting the fate of others.
But that was predicated on the deaths not being accidental and not happening right by his side.
If a girl died right across from his door, not to mention anything else, would he dare to go out at night afterward?
Imagine that scene, encountering that ghastly pale ghost in the corridor, waving and greeting him.
"Hello, Mr. Mo who lives opposite."
"But my last name isn't Mo."
"Oh right, your full name is Leng Mo."
"What cold-hearted… please leave me alone!"
As he imagined this scenario, Chen Yuan felt a chill run down his spine.
I have to tell her, be careful with using water and electricity, always carry any heart medication, make sure to ventilate the room regularly… No, am I her mother to say such things?
If she doesn't die and I indeed protect her in some unseen way, then when we meet again later, she will definitely think I'm a weirdo with ulterior motives, since my behavior doesn't seem at all well-intentioned but more like harassment.
But what of it?
Damn, I am nevertheless a league member.
Although I may be misunderstood and earn no gratitude, Chen Yuan had the choice between inaction and intervention, and he chose the answer he believed was right.
Do good deeds without asking about the future.
After roughly ten minutes of hesitation, Chen Yuan figured it out, stood up, opened the door, walked over to number 501 across the hall, and then gently knocked on the door.
No response.
He knocked several more times, but still no one answered.
"Excuse me. There is a parcel at the door, it seems the delivery person might have placed it wrong. Is it yours?" Chen Yuan did indeed have an unopened parcel at home, so if the other party asked about it in confusion later, he could use that as an excuse for knocking, to avoid looking like a pervert.
Still, no reaction.
Could it be that, as a woman living alone, she's afraid and doesn't dare open the door?
But there's a peephole in the door, she would at least take a look, right?
Chen Yuan didn't even hear footsteps.
And time passed by another five minutes.
This is wrong, it's too quiet.
Quiet as if there's nobody inside.
"Are you okay, neighbor? I'm coming in, if you don't respond, I'm going to push the door open!"
After delivering this final ultimatum, Chen Yuan rammed his body into the wooden door.
A thunderous roar ensued; there was no way anyone inside could fail to react to such a commotion.
And this further confirmed his suspicion.
Clenching his teeth, closing his eyes, and bracing for a bit of potential pain, Chen Yuan charged like a battering ram.
Bang-crack, the sound of the door lock being broken.
Right after, he kicked the door open.
A dull wave of heat, mixed with the acrid smell of charcoal, assaulted him as he entered, covering his mouth and nose, Chen Yuan felt dizzy.
"It's really a suicide attempt!"
Seeing the girl with sweat-drenched forehead and long hair sprawled on the bed, Chen Yuan didn't hesitate; he rushed in, opened all the windows in the room, and turned the fan on to level three with the oscillating mode to clear the air as much as possible.
Then, he located the source of the poisoning.
A basin with burning charcoal.
Upon seeing this, he quickly went to grab it, but the basin's rim scalded his hand like a branding iron, making him retract it.
Forget it, just move it outside.
Shaking his hand, he scooped up the petite girl from the bed into his arms and dashed out of the room. He had intended to place her in his own room, but to avoid any impropriety, and because the corridor was better ventilated, he set her down on the floor instead.
The girl was wearing a baggy short sleeve shirt with jeans, her black long hair also spilled down; she seemed to be dressed casually, indicating maybe she didn't have plans of dressing up to meet her end.
But she probably didn't own anything fancy.
He was seeing her in her regular clothes for the first time.
"Wake up, wake up!"
Xia Xinyu faintly heard someone calling her, and she felt a cool sensation on her cheek.
She opened her eyes groggily, and then she saw a familiar school uniform...
It was the uniform of the high school student from across the hall, from No.11 High School.
Trying hard, she lifted her eyes and brows, recognizing it was the high school student from across the hall. He was applying an ice pack to her face, and when he saw that she was awake, he put it down, then held the ice pack in his right palm.
"Are you okay? Should I take you to the hospital?" Chen Yuan asked with concern.
"No."
"How about going downstairs for some fresh air? After carbon monoxide poisoning, it's best to breathe in more fresh air."
"No need, thank you."
Xia Xinyu still softly refused, but this time she included a polite formality.
Although she was still somewhat groggy, beads of sweat on her forehead, she insisted on slowly getting up, swaying like a wobbly scarecrow, stumbling toward the inside of the room.
After waking her up, Chen Yuan briefly saw that her lifespan was normal, but he had been panicked at the time and hadn't had a chance to calculate it, so he didn't know how many years specifically.
Now, with her consciousness somewhat clearer, the red number above her head had changed to 0.05.
With suicide being such a painful thing, was today really a day she had to die?
Not having experienced her suffering, Chen Yuan had no reason to lecture her on looking at the bright side and being magnanimous.
But fuck you... don't die right in front of me!
Why do I deserve this? Today, of all days, I was supposed to happily enjoy some Boston lobster, air conditioning, beer, and watch the latest episode of Cang Yuan Diagram. A beautiful plan like this should not be disrupted by someone eager to die, ruining my mood.
"Your room might still be poisonous, how about staying in my room for a bit longer?" Chen Yuan was making a last-ditch effort to save her.
If she truly went back through that door, there would be nothing he could do.
"No need, I'll just rest in my own room."
She continued to stagger, her steps resolved.
"We've got dinner ready; how about joining us for a meal?"
The girl just shook her head, this time not even bothering to reply verbally.
"There's Boston lobster."
"..."
As she stepped into the room, she paused for a moment, and though she did not turn around, Chen Yuan, for some reason, sensed a struggle from her silhouette.
"I really shouldn't... It would be too impolite..."
Her mouth twisted as she said this, but the number above her head suddenly soared to a [1].
What kind of fantasy Boston lobster is this, that can add HP?