I'm Actually Panicking Because My Heart Doesn't Beat (GL) - Chapter 12

Xing Tianqing watched as Guan Xiaoxuan got into the elevator with her crossbody bag slung over her shoulder. But instead of closing her own door, she turned toward the entrance of Guan Xiaoxuan’s apartment.

The puddle that had appeared in front of Guan Xiaoxuan’s door last night was now gone. Xing Tianqing didn’t sense anything strange around either. It must have been a coincidence—or maybe something else entirely.

Today, she still had to go to the Special Incident Investigation Bureau to discuss follow-up actions for the “Lady in Red” case.

Nineteen mysterious deaths, all wrapped up in just 24 hours.

The only people left to investigate were the three university students who narrowly escaped, and the original organizer of the interest group, a person named Cheng Yi.

Meanwhile, Guan Xiaoxuan was slowly making her way to school on the bus.

Last night, she’d gotten a call from Zhang Wen. The other girl had only asked why she hadn’t been attending classes recently.

From the moment Guan Xiaoxuan arrived in this world and got a new phone, there had been a two- or three-day window during which Zhang Wen could’ve reached out—but didn’t. That wasn’t how someone who truly cared would act. If Zhang Wen had really been worried, she would’ve called at least once a day. Clearly, that call yesterday meant she needed something.

So Guan Xiaoxuan suspected Zhang Wen had a favor to ask.

She had no idea what today might bring once she got to campus.

Leaning back in her seat, arms crossed, Guan Xiaoxuan gazed out the window and muttered to herself:

“Fake friendship at its finest…”

The bus trundled along at a slow but steady pace, and by the time she arrived at the entrance of the teacher training college, it had been over half an hour.

Once she confirmed where her first class was, Guan Xiaoxuan confidently walked through the school gate and headed toward the old, traditional-looking teaching building.

As she walked, she took in the campus scenery around her. It had been years since she’d graduated, and her work life had kept her far from any academic setting. Now, walking through the bustling university grounds again, a wave of nostalgia swept over her.

She didn’t know how much longer she’d be staying in this world.

Soon, she arrived at the four-story, timeworn teaching building.

The lighting in the building wasn’t great. Even though it was bright and sunny outside, the inside felt gloomy and dim. Sunlight barely made it through, and even the hallways were shadowy.

Old school buildings were always like this. In her memory, students much preferred the newer science and tech buildings. Hardly anyone liked it here.

More students began showing up, and Guan Xiaoxuan’s memory kicked in. She slowly started to recall who her classmates were—important, so she wouldn’t embarrass herself by calling someone the wrong name.

Just then, someone walked through the front entrance. She had a short bob haircut, bright and lively eyes, and wore jeans with a white sweatshirt—typical student look.

It was Zhang Wen, the girl Guan Xiaoxuan had seen in her dream.

“Xiaoxuan!”

Zhang Wen ran over with her books in hand and looked Guan Xiaoxuan up and down. “Huh, is it just me, or do you seem a little different from before?”

Guan Xiaoxuan forced a smile. “Well, you said it—it’s just your imagination.”

Zhang Wen nodded and naturally linked arms with her. “Come on, let’s head to class.”

Once they found seats in the classroom, Guan Xiaoxuan pulled out her textbook from her bag. The page was filled with dense text, and just glancing at it gave her a headache.

She’d read her fair share of time-travel novels, where the main character goes back to school, scores perfect marks, shows up the teachers and classmates, and ends up living their best life. But she was pretty sure she wasn’t one of those characters.

After all, she had graduated years ago. Life in the working world had long since driven textbook knowledge out of her head. Picking up these subjects again felt like fumbling around in the dark.

Now she was seriously worried—if she couldn’t return to her original world, could she even manage to graduate here?

Her whole morning was packed with classes. By the time they were over, Guan Xiaoxuan felt like her brain had turned to mush. She could barely keep up with what the teachers were saying. And when it came to exams? Forget it.

She looked down at her textbook and realized that as long as she was stuck in this world as a second-year college student, she couldn’t afford to fall behind on her studies.

The original Guan Xiaoxuan had good grades. Even if she had to fake it, she needed to do a convincing job—not slip up.

Just as she was getting ready to head home, Zhang Wen suddenly grabbed her arm.

“Where are you going?” she asked.

Guan Xiaoxuan was puzzled. “We don’t have class this afternoon. I’m heading home.”

She had planned to visit the lake where she drowned in the other world, hoping it might offer a way back—even if the chances were slim, she wanted to try.

“Don’t leave so soon! I’ve got something to tell you,” Zhang Wen said, pulling her along. Once most of the other students had left the classroom, she grabbed her stuff. “Let’s go to the cafeteria. I’ll explain over lunch.”

Guan Xiaoxuan followed her to the cafeteria, which was still pretty crowded. After grabbing a simple meal, she found an empty table.

Zhang Wen had ordered a bowl of noodles with a fiery red chili topping—it looked spicy but appetizing. Guan Xiaoxuan’s meal was much milder.

“Xiaoxuan, have you heard the rumor going around campus lately?” Zhang Wen asked while slurping her noodles.

“What rumor?” Guan Xiaoxuan wasn’t that curious—just making small talk.

“A lot of girls in the dorm say they’ve seen a faceless girl wandering the hallways,” Zhang Wen said. “Sometimes in the day, sometimes at night. But she’s always there, drifting around.”

“A faceless girl?” Guan Xiaoxuan froze at the words.

The old her might’ve just laughed it off as a ghost story. But ever since she got tangled up with the Lady in Red and the Special Incident Investigation Bureau, she knew that strange events like this were very real—and very dangerous.

As a regular person, the smart thing was to stay far away and let the professionals handle it.

Zhang Wen nodded, speaking seriously. “I saw her too. One night I got up to use the bathroom, and on my way back, I saw her flash by the stairwell. It scared the hell out of me.”

“Later I found out I wasn’t the only one. Other girls have seen her by the stairs, in front of dorm rooms, in the bathrooms, hallways, even on the rooftop. Every time, she vanishes in a blink.”

“Couldn’t it be some prank?” Guan Xiaoxuan asked calmly, though deep down she was pretty sure it wasn’t. And judging from Zhang Wen’s excited expression, fear didn’t seem to be her dominant reaction.

Who gets excited over this kind of thing?

Seriously—ignorance really is bliss.

Zhang Wen’s eyes were wide, filled with curiosity and thrill. “I don’t think it’s a prank. It has to be a real paranormal event. You used to be super into this stuff too, right? That’s why you joined the interest group with me before—I knew you were just like me.”

Guan Xiaoxuan let out a couple of dry chuckles. “Let’s not talk about that interest group. So, tell me more about this faceless girl.”

Zhang Wen nodded eagerly. “They counted it up—14 people have seen her so far. Yesterday they even started a group chat. They’re planning to meet in an empty classroom this afternoon to see if they can figure out who—or what—she really is.”

Guan Xiaoxuan: “…”

She stared at the young, naive Zhang Wen and finally understood the true meaning of the phrase: “You won’t die if you don’t go looking for trouble.”