I'm Actually Panicking Because My Heart Doesn't Beat (GL) - Chapter 40

At the bl00d sample lab of the Bureau of the Strange, Guan Xiaoxuan’s bl00d was being separated and tested inside a white machine.

These were just standard tests—nothing fancy. Any regular hospital could perform them. But since the Bureau stored their own data separately, nothing could be shared with the outside world, not even the bl00d samples.

It was past 9 p.m. Lin Weiwei had stayed late to finish up her work. Once everything was handled, she locked the black doors of the Exchange Center and headed toward the parking lot.

Normally, the Bureau of the Strange would be completely empty at this hour. But something didn’t feel right to Lin Weiwei.

As she walked through the garden plaza, she glanced back at the three-story office building. A light was still on in one of the windows on the far left side.

She paused for a moment, mentally calculating—that area belonged to the bl00d sample lab.

Why would someone still be in there this late?

A cold night breeze swept past, making the hem of her white coat flutter.

The Bureau was located in a remote area, and given the nature of its work, people rarely came around. The only outsiders who visited today were Xing Tianqing and her new team.

Just as Lin Weiwei was debating whether to check it out, the light in that room suddenly switched off.

A moment later, motion sensor lights came on in the hallway—someone was leaving the building.

Instinctively, Lin Weiwei wanted to hide. But then she thought, Why should I?

She was curious to know who else was working late like her.

A few minutes later, two or three people came out of the building, carrying a small box that seemed to hold something important.

“Working late, huh? What’s got the testing lab staying overtime?” Lin Weiwei suddenly spoke up.

The sudden voice startled the group.

Jian Zhou turned around to see who it was. When he recognized Lin Weiwei, he let out a small sigh of relief and adjusted his glasses.

“Director Lin,” Jian Zhou greeted politely. “What are you still doing here so late?”

Lin Weiwei stuffed her hands in her coat pockets and smiled. “Just finished up. You know how it is at the Exchange Center—small team, too much work. Overtime is normal.”

She glanced at the box Jian Zhou was carrying and asked curiously, “Old Jian, doesn’t your lab usually leave on time? What brought you here so late?”

Jian Zhou smiled lightly. “We got a sudden urgent task from the higher-ups, so we came to handle it. We’re delivering something now, so we’ll catch up another time.”

Lin Weiwei watched them walk away, her eyes lingering on that small box.

She might not be from the testing lab, but as a long-time staff member at the Bureau, she could tell that the box was likely storing something that needed to be kept active—like bl00d samples.

Watching the car drive off, Lin Weiwei rubbed her chin and muttered, “Bl00d samples… Whose could they be?”

In the following days, Guan Xiaoxuan’s life went back to normal.

With Labor Day approaching, schools were expected to close for five days. Zhang Wen started pulling Xiaoxuan aside to plan a fun trip during the holiday.

“I’m not going anywhere,” Xiaoxuan said while packing her things. “You can go home and spend time with your family. I’ve got other things to take care of. I’m heading out now.”

Just as she was leaving, Zhang Wen quickly grabbed her books and followed behind.

“Hey?” she asked curiously. “Didn’t you say you had something to do? Why are you heading back to the dorm?”

Xiaoxuan glanced back with a smile. “I’m going to see Bai Zhiqi. Want to come?”

Zhang Wen froze for a moment. Her mind immediately flashed to that faceless female student they’d bumped into in the hallway before. Even though it had been a while, she was still creeped out. She shook her head quickly, like a rattling drum.

“Nope, nope, nope,” Zhang Wen said with a worried look. “Xiaoxuan, why are you always getting mixed up with these strange cases lately? First Bai Zhiqi, then that little boy with the rubber ball. We’re just regular college students—do we really need to get involved with all this?”

Xiaoxuan stopped walking and turned to face her.

Zhang Wen blinked at her, puzzled, and forced a smile. “What’s wrong? Why are you looking at me like that?”

“I think you’re right,” Xiaoxuan said seriously. “If it were before, I would’ve stayed far away from anything strange too. But now, things are different. I’ve got a little secret.”

That immediately caught Zhang Wen’s attention. She leaned in and asked quietly, “What secret? Can you tell me?”

With a mischievous smile, Xiaoxuan leaned close and whispered, “I’m going to be an unofficial member of the Bureau of the Strange. I’ll be dealing with a lot of weird cases, so I need to start getting used to it.”

Zhang Wen was speechless for a moment. Her eyes lit up with surprise and excitement as she lowered her voice, covering her mouth. “For real? Xiaoxuan, that’s amazing!”

Xiaoxuan beamed at the praise and said, “Want to come with me to see Bai Zhiqi? You’ve seen her before—it wouldn’t hurt to say hi.”

Zhang Wen was still too timid and quickly shook her head. “N-no thanks. I’m going to the library to look up some stuff. You go ahead!”

Before Xiaoxuan could say anything else, Zhang Wen was already darting off like the wind. Xiaoxuan smiled helplessly and headed for the girls’ dorm.

In the Inner World dormitory, Bai Zhiqi was wearing a pink nightgown with a face mask on. She was lounging on her bed playing a game and didn’t even look up when Xiaoxuan arrived. She just waved her foot lazily and said, “You’re here.”

“Yeah.” Xiaoxuan sat down in a chair and looked up at Bai Zhiqi’s relaxed posture. “I joined the Bureau of the Strange. The application should go through today. From now on, I’ll be working with them.”

“Oh.” Bai Zhiqi still didn’t look up, focused on her game. “So, why are you here?”

“I think there are a lot of secrets in the Inner World,” Xiaoxuan said. “I want to study it thoroughly. Maybe I’ll find something unexpected.”

Even though she had started getting used to life in this world, Xiaoxuan hadn’t given up on returning to her original world. She believed the key might lie deep within the mysterious fog.

Bai Zhiqi’s hands paused for a moment. She looked up, rolled over, and sat with her legs dangling off the bed.

“You’re still thinking about that man who came out of the fog?” she asked. “You know the fog is dangerous. It’s not something you just waltz into.”

“I know,” Xiaoxuan replied with a smile. “I’m not going to rush in blindly. I have a plan.”

Bai Zhiqi narrowed her eyes slightly, unconvinced. “So, joining the Bureau is part of that plan? You’re trying to uncover the fog’s secrets?”

“Sort of,” Xiaoxuan said thoughtfully. “Originally, it was just a coincidence. But after visiting the Xinglin branch of the Bureau, I realized they’re way more advanced than I thought. They have a lot of useful things that could help me investigate the white mist.”

“Plus, they’re a government agency. They’ve seen all kinds of strange cases. I bet some of those entities have unique abilities.”

Xiaoxuan was convinced her arrival in this world wasn’t just a random accident.

After everything she’d seen—so many bizarre powers—she believed there must be one out there that could pull someone from another world into this one.

Just like how she had ended up here—suddenly and without warning.

If she could find such an entity or object, she might be able to go back to her own world.

The thought made her heart race.

The future still held hope, and she wanted to hold on to that.

“So, since you’ve made up your mind,” Bai Zhiqi said, peeling off her face mask, “why did you come to me?”

Xiaoxuan looked up at her with an innocent smile.

“I need your help,” she said. “I’m looking for something that can protect me. Got any recommendations?”

Bai Zhiqi stared at her, rubbing her chin thoughtfully. Their eyes met and held for a moment.

After leaving the dorm, Xiaoxuan headed to the orphanage.

It was still lively there. She greeted the familiar security guard at the gate and walked in like she was coming home.

Some of the kids had already returned from school and were playing in the yard. The older ones were studying in the classroom.

Xiaoxuan searched the place and finally found Haohao hiding in the boys’ bathroom.

Haohao had a miserable look on his face and struggled in her grip. “You’re a girl! You can’t be in the boys’ bathroom! That’s not right!”

Xiaoxuan stayed calm. “Don’t worry about that. I’m here to talk.”

Haohao instinctively covered his face. “If you’ve got something to say, just say it! Please don’t hit me…”

He was really scared of her now. Even though she looked human, she fought like a monster. The last time he tried to mess with her, he nearly got killed. He had learned his lesson—never mess with women.

Xiaoxuan chuckled and led him to a quiet spot, then let him go. “I want to ask you again about the man who came out of the fog. Can you remember anything else? Like his features or his name?”

Haohao looked up, thinking hard. “I already told you and Sister Bai everything I know. I really can’t remember more.”

Xiaoxuan frowned slightly.

“But,” Haohao added, “I do remember what he looked like. I can draw him for you. Maybe that’ll help.”

Xiaoxuan’s eyes lit up. “Really? Then hurry up and draw it. Maybe I can find him with your help.”

Haohao nodded seriously. Somehow, he pulled out crayons and a blank sheet of paper, then plopped down to start drawing.

At first, Xiaoxuan was excited. But after watching him scribble aimlessly, her enthusiasm quickly faded. What was I even thinking? she wondered. How could I expect him to draw anything useful?

Haohao finished his masterpiece, packed away the crayons, and proudly held it up. “Sister Xiaoxuan, look! This is what he looked like!”