I'm Actually Panicking Because My Heart Doesn't Beat (GL) - Chapter 24

Guan Xiaoxuan let out a helpless laugh. “Sister Xiao An, you can’t just say things like that. If Captain Xing finds out, I’ll be in trouble.”

“Alright, little girl,” Xiao An leaned on her hand and said, “Everyone at the bureau knows about your little crush. Even though Captain Xing doesn’t have a boyfriend or girlfriend, and you’re pretty cute—honestly, the two of you look good together. But love has to go both ways. You can’t go risking your life just to get closer to her by involving yourself in these supernatural incidents. That’s a deadly path.”

Xiao An rambled on, and Guan Xiaoxuan didn’t argue.

Everyone at the bureau—including Xing Tianqing—thought she liked her. So be it.

It’s not like it hurt her.

After lunch, Guan Xiaoxuan spent the rest of the afternoon at the bureau. Honestly, she didn’t mind it—free meals were a plus, and she could occasionally catch a glimpse of the always-busy Xing Tianqing, which made her heart race a little faster.

When the police station closed for the day, she and Zhang Wen finally left. As soon as they stepped out, they were picked up by school officials, who reassured them and sent everyone back home.

The school leader dropped Guan Xiaoxuan off first. Zhang Wen rolled down the window, blinking at her with a grateful look. “Xiaoxuan, seriously… thank you. If it weren’t for you, I might’ve died in there.”

Guan Xiaoxuan smiled. “It’s okay. Just get some rest back at the dorm. I’m heading home.”

“Alright.” Zhang Wen nodded. “We’ll talk more on our phones later.”

After watching the car drive off, Guan Xiaoxuan let out a long sigh and turned toward her apartment complex.

When she got to her front door and was about to pull out her keys, she stepped in a small puddle with a soft splash.

Her brows furrowed again.

How many days has it been?

Why is there always water in front of her door?

She touched the door—wet. A thin layer of condensation coated the surface.

Something didn’t feel right.

She glanced across the hallway at Xing Tianqing’s apartment. Maybe I should mention this to her when I see her next. She probably knows something.

No matter what it was, constant puddles at her door would eventually cause rust. And when that happened, she’d have to fix it. A good security door costs a lot, and she was just a college student. Where would she find the money to compensate her landlord?

When she got inside, she saw her fat cat had finished an entire bowl of kibble and freeze-dried treats. She couldn’t help but worry—if she kept getting pulled away for investigations like this, the little chubby guy might end up starving.

Guan Xiaoxuan made a mental note: she needed to buy an automatic feeder and water dispenser.

No matter how broke you are, never short the kid. No matter how hard things get, never skimp on food.

With that mindset, she splurged online and bought a high-end automatic feeder for Guazi, filled it with kibble and freeze-dried snacks. She figured that even if she wasn’t home for half a month, her cat wouldn’t go hungry.

Cheng Yi’s death spread quietly through the school. Because everyone had signed confidentiality agreements, few knew exactly what had happened. People just heard that a girl had died in a supernatural incident.

But how she died, or why—no one knew.

The Investigation Bureau kept the girls’ dormitory sealed off for more than a week. Once they confirmed that the gate to the otherworld wouldn’t suddenly open again, they finally pulled back their protective measures. The school then assigned more dorm supervisors to patrol day and night, just in case something else happened.

Meanwhile, Xing Tianqing seemed busy with other matters. Except for her brief daily appearances with Guan Xiaoxuan, she was nowhere to be found.

Guan Xiaoxuan did mention the water outside her door. Xing Tianqing had paused for a while, then said, “I’ll take care of it once I finish up my current tasks.”

“Is there anything I should watch out for?” Guan Xiaoxuan asked, curious.

“Not really,” Xing Tianqing replied calmly. “It’s just a stray supernatural entity that latched onto you by accident. You won’t run into her directly—just think of it like some dirty energy lingering around. I should be free next week. I’ll send someone to handle it then.”

With that reassurance from the authorities, Guan Xiaoxuan felt much more at ease.

That weekend, after taking an early shower, she climbed into bed and started thinking about getting a part-time job. She went to school and came home every day with nothing much going on—she might as well find some work. It’d help cover expenses and maybe let her and Guazi enjoy some treats.

With that thought in mind, she drifted off to sleep.

In her dream, Guan Xiaoxuan found herself standing in front of the girls’ dorm again, confused and unsure of what was going on.

“Hey! Over here, look up!”

A voice called out, and Guan Xiaoxuan lifted her head. At the window on the second floor, Bai Zhiqi was leaning on the windowsill, looking down at her. When their eyes met, she smiled and said, “Those annoying people finally left. They’ve been hanging around here for a whole week—I was getting bored to death.”

That’s when Guan Xiaoxuan realized—Bai Zhiqi had entered her dream.

“How can you be in my dream?” she asked, puzzled. “Do all supernatural beings have this ability?”

“Normally, no one else can enter your dreams—but because you and I have a verbal agreement, I can,” Bai Zhiqi said with a smile. “Head upstairs first, I’ve got something to give you.”

Guan Xiaoxuan blinked, then walked into the girls’ dormitory, following Bai Zhiqi into one of the rooms.

It looked like this had once been Bai Zhiqi’s dorm room. It was a bit messy, and she hadn’t bothered to tidy it up. She pulled out a chair and said, “Sit wherever you like. I’m the only one staying here now, so if it’s messy, just pretend you didn’t see it.”

Guan Xiaoxuan glanced around. The room had four bunk beds with desks below. Three of the beds were empty—only one had a blanket laid out, and there were a phone and a laptop on the desk underneath.

“You actually live here?” Guan Xiaoxuan asked, eyeing the computer. “You can get internet in the Inner World?”

“Barely, just enough to leech a bit of signal,” Bai Zhiqi replied. “Since I’ll be staying in this world for a long time, I need something to keep me entertained. Otherwise, I’d turn into a mindless monster and start hurting people.”

“I might be dead already,” she continued, “but I don’t want to become something like that. As long as I’m still aware, I want to live like a human being.”

Guan Xiaoxuan looked at her and asked, “Will you really turn into a mindless monster someday? I thought you’d always stay like this.”

Bai Zhiqi shook her head and walked over to the balcony, pointing out into the thick fog outside. “Can you see the things moving around in the mist? Those are what happen when you lose your mind—monsters without thought. If I lose the ability to think, I’ll become just like them. Just another danger to people.”

Guan Xiaoxuan stepped over and looked out the window. The fog was dense, and inside it were human-like figures wandering aimlessly—like restless spirits.

So that’s what these monsters are like?

They were kind of terrifying.

Maybe Bai Zhiqi could tell what she was thinking, because she brought her back inside and said, “We had a deal—once Cheng Yi was taken care of, I’d give you something. It’s time to keep my promise. Here.”

She reached into her pocket and handed something to Guan Xiaoxuan.

It felt cold and a little slimy.

When Guan Xiaoxuan looked down, she was so shocked she threw it away on instinct.

The object floated gently to the floor—a human-skin mask. It looked oddly innocent just lying there.

“What is that?!” It was the first time Guan Xiaoxuan had seen a human-skin mask, and her face turned pale with fear.

Bai Zhiqi chuckled, picked the mask up, and said, “This is Cheng Yi’s skin—it’s a special item. When you wear it, it can change your face and body shape. It doesn’t have any attack power, but it’s still a pretty useful item.”

She then demonstrated for Guan Xiaoxuan.

As she put the mask on, the skin on her face rippled, and Guan Xiaoxuan could hear the sound of bones cracking and shifting. Within three seconds, Bai Zhiqi had a completely different face.

She touched her new face—now Cheng Yi’s—and said, “See? You can turn into someone you’ve met, and even people you’ve never met.”

As she spoke, she changed again—to Zhang Wen, then to Guan Xiaoxuan herself, and finally to the face of a completely unfamiliar woman.

“This mask doesn’t just change your face,” she explained. “It can adjust your height and weight too, though not by much. I haven’t measured it exactly, but you can grow or shrink by about ten centimeters, and weight can shift up or down by about twenty pounds.”

Bai Zhiqi pulled off the mask and smiled. “Well? Pretty useful, right?”

“It is,” Guan Xiaoxuan admitted, still staring at the mask in curiosity. “But… are you sure you want to give me something this useful?”

“Of course. We had a deal,” Bai Zhiqi shrugged and stuffed the mask back into Guan Xiaoxuan’s hands. “Besides, I don’t really need it here in the Inner World. It’s useless to me—but it could help you.”

Guan Xiaoxuan looked down at the light, fluttery mask. The shock had worn off. Now, she just found it fascinating.

“If you don’t want to use it,” Bai Zhiqi added, lounging beside the bed, “you can always sell it on a second-hand app. It’s worth quite a bit—probably around a hundred thousand yuan.”

Guan Xiaoxuan’s eyes widened a little. That much?

She was tempted, but then thought about what might happen if it fell into the wrong hands. With something that could change appearance and body shape, it would be nearly impossible to catch someone committing a crime.

She stuffed the mask into her pocket and said, “I think I’ll keep it. I’d worry too much if someone bad got their hands on it.”

Bai Zhiqi smiled and didn’t say anything more. The item was hers now—what she did with it was her own business.

“Oh, right—one more thing. These special items will slowly fuse with you over time, so you have to take it off after using it. If you keep it on too long, you might end up becoming another Cheng Yi,” Bai Zhiqi warned. “But I don’t think you’re that kind of person. That’s why I’m okay giving it to you.”

“Thanks.” Guan Xiaoxuan looked at her and asked, “So you’re just going to stay here from now on?”

Bai Zhiqi nodded. “Pretty much. I’ll stay in the dorm until I lose my mind and become a monster. If you ever need me, just come and yell my name in the hallway. I’ll hear you.”