I'm Actually Panicking Because My Heart Doesn't Beat (GL) - Chapter 61

When Guan Xiaoxuan opened her eyes, the dream was still vivid in her mind.

That tall woman in red had clearly seen her in the dream, and the pressure she gave off was already suffocating. Guan Xiaoxuan was sure the woman would find her soon.

Just thinking about it made her sit up in a daze. She looked around and finally remembered—she had moved into Xing Tianqing’s place last night.

It was just after six in the morning. The morning sun shone through the window. Guan Xiaoxuan pulled the curtain aside and looked out, then sighed, “The weather’s really nice today.”

She just didn’t know how much longer she’d be alive.

The dream from last night had left a deep impression. From this angle in the room, she could even see that same streetlamp. Guan Xiaoxuan leaned out the window, but there was nothing under it now—not even the trash can. The property management must have come early and taken it away.

Since she was up early anyway, Guan Xiaoxuan decided to make some breakfast.

Xing Tianqing was still fast asleep in her room when she suddenly heard clattering noises in her apartment. She sat up in bed alertly.

She listened carefully and could hear someone talking. Just as she was feeling confused, her door creaked open. A chubby little cat waddled into the room.

Guazi looked up and locked eyes with her, wagging its tail without a hint of fear.

Xing Tianqing: “…”

She remembered Guan Xiaoxuan had moved in last night. The cat was probably hers.

She had lived alone for so long that she never bothered locking her bedroom door. This little chubby one was probably just exploring its new “territory.”

“Whose little fatty are you, huh?” Xing Tianqing lifted her blanket, scooped up Guazi, and stared into its big, round eyes. Then she hauled the soft cat up and walked out of the room with it in her arms.

As soon as she left the bedroom, she caught a whiff of something delicious. Following the smell, she found Guan Xiaoxuan busy in the kitchen.

Guan Xiaoxuan was chopping something, wearing an apron that looked like it had never been used before. Her long hair was tied back in a ponytail, and she was dressed in comfy loungewear. From behind, she looked every bit like a homemaker.

Hearing a noise behind her, Guan Xiaoxuan turned around and spotted the cat in Xing Tianqing’s arms. She looked surprised and asked, “Did he wake you up?”

“Nope.” Xing Tianqing waved Guazi’s little paw as a greeting and said, “I woke up on my own.”

She set the cat down and came closer. “What are you making? It smells amazing.”

“Does it?” Guan Xiaoxuan looked puzzled for a second and said, “I got up pretty early, so I steamed some buns and planned to make some soup. Right now I’m just chopping some ham.”

Xing Tianqing peeked over her shoulder and said with admiration, “You can cook?”

Guan Xiaoxuan chuckled. “Not really. The buns are just frozen soup dumplings I bought. A big bag costs a few dozen yuan and lasts a while. The spicy soup is from a seasoning packet. I usually just throw in some ham and boil it all together. Super easy.”

Xing Tianqing didn’t know how to cook. She leaned against the kitchen doorway, watching Guan Xiaoxuan’s smooth movements, and asked curiously, “Do you always do this at home?”

“If it’s just me, I don’t bother making anything fancy.” Guan Xiaoxuan tossed the chopped ham into the pot and said, “Usually, I boil water and steam the buns first thing after waking up. I set a 15-minute timer, and by the time I’m done getting ready, breakfast is ready too. As for the soup—too much for one person. I usually just heat a carton of milk and eat it with some beef sauce.”

As she spoke, Guan Xiaoxuan glanced back at Xing Tianqing.

Xing Tianqing: “?”

Guan Xiaoxuan sighed and said, “If you’re already up, go brush your teeth and wash your face. Breakfast will be ready soon.”

Only then did Xing Tianqing snap out of it. She smiled and quickly ran off to the bathroom.

By the time Guan Xiaoxuan had taken the steamed buns out and ladled up two bowls of soup, Xing Tianqing had just finished freshening up.

Looking at the breakfast spread on the table, Xing Tianqing sat down and said with a sigh, “It’s been so long since I had breakfast at home.”

“You’re busy with work. It’s totally normal to grab food to go,” Guan Xiaoxuan said as she opened the jar of beef sauce and placed it between them. “If I wake up late, I don’t bother cooking either. I just happened to wake up early today.”

“What’s wrong? You didn’t sleep well at my place?”

“Not really.”

Guan Xiaoxuan took a bite of a bun, then told Xing Tianqing about the red-dressed female ghost she had seen at the bus stop in her dream the night before.
Xing Tianqing’s expression turned serious as well. While sipping her soup, she asked, “Did you feel anything unusual when you woke up this morning?”

“Feel?” Guan Xiaoxuan thought for a moment, then shook her head. “I didn’t feel anything.”

“Based on the previous cases, most people completely disappear around the fifth or sixth day. At first, they can still be seen occasionally, but after that, they’re gone for good.” Xing Tianqing frowned and told her, “The Class A item I applied for yesterday has already been loaded and sent out. At the latest, it’ll arrive tomorrow. You must carry it with you at all times once it gets here.”

Guan Xiaoxuan nodded seriously, then asked, “What kind of item is it?”

“The Class A item is called Light,” Xing Tianqing explained. “It creates a strong white light within a one-meter radius. No supernatural entity can get near it. If they touch the light, it will seriously damage them.”

Guan Xiaoxuan was surprised. “So can it be used as a weapon?”

“In theory, yes,” Xing Tianqing replied, holding her chopsticks. “Because it’s highly effective against these entities. But unless it’s absolutely necessary, don’t use it that way. Using it as a weapon puts you at risk. Our top priority is to keep you safe, not to attack that red-dressed ghost.”

Guan Xiaoxuan thought about it, then nodded firmly. “Got it.”

After breakfast, Xing Tianqing did the dishes while Guan Xiaoxuan took the chance to open a can of food for Guazi.

Once Xing Tianqing was done, she came out of the kitchen and saw Guan Xiaoxuan feeding the cat. After thinking for a moment, she said, “I’ll go with you to school later to apply for leave. It’s better if you stay with me for the next few days. That way, if anything happens, I’ll be right there.”

Guan Xiaoxuan looked up at her. “Won’t that interfere with your work?”

“It’s no trouble at all. You know what my job is like,” Xing Tianqing said with a smile. “You’re my top priority right now, so don’t argue with me.”

Guan Xiaoxuan thought it over and nodded. “Okay, I’ll stick with you for now.”

After packing up, they left the house. Xing Tianqing first took Guan Xiaoxuan to the university. At the department office, they requested a one-week leave. The department head was hesitant at first, but once he saw Xing Tianqing’s credentials, he approved it without another word. The leave was granted easily.

As they walked out of the office, Guan Xiaoxuan glanced around at the familiar surroundings and asked, “Can I go say hi to my friends?”

Xing Tianqing checked the time and said, “Sure, I’ll come with you.”

Guan Xiaoxuan hesitated. “That’s not necessary. I just want to say a few words. You can wait for me at the school gate.”

“No.” Xing Tianqing looked at her seriously. “My job right now is to keep you safe. Unless you’re sleeping or using the bathroom, you can’t leave my sight. Understand?”

Hearing that, Guan Xiaoxuan gave a helpless smile and nodded.

She had originally planned to talk to Bai Zhiqi and tell her everything, but with Xing Tianqing sticking so close, she didn’t dare. So she just wandered around campus until she ran into Zhang Wen.

As soon as Zhang Wen saw her, she rushed over and grabbed her hand. “Are you okay? I heard Chen Man was hospitalized and seriously injured. You haven’t been to school these past two days—I was so worried about you!”

“Don’t worry about me.” Guan Xiaoxuan held her hand and asked, “How did you hear about Chen Man being hospitalized? Isn’t she still unconscious?”

Zhang Wen shook her head. “That’s just what everyone’s been saying. Something about her messing with a haunted bus or something. I heard she’s missing limbs and almost died. Xiaoxuan, please don’t mess with weird stuff like that—it’s dangerous.”

Guan Xiaoxuan thought to herself, I’ve already messed with it, and there’s probably no way out now.

But seeing Zhang Wen so worried, she still smiled and said, “Don’t worry. I haven’t gone near anything like that. Look, I’m perfectly fine.”

Zhang Wen gave her a once-over, then finally smiled. “Yeah? Then why haven’t you been coming to school lately?”

“She’s helping us with an investigation.”

Xing Tianqing suddenly spoke up from the side and greeted Zhang Wen. “Hi, I’m Xing Tianqing, squad leader from the Bureau of Paranormal Affairs.”

Zhang Wen turned to look at her and said, “I… I’ve seen you before, at the Bureau.”

Xing Tianqing didn’t recognize her. She looked at Zhang Wen for a while before Guan Xiaoxuan reminded her, “Zhang Wen and I were both brought in during that incident with Cheng Yi.”

“Oh, that was you,” Xing Tianqing said with a smile. “There were over twenty people back then, so I don’t remember everyone clearly. Sorry about that.”

“It’s okay, Captain Xing. You’re super busy, it’s understandable,” Zhang Wen replied. She looked back and forth between the two of them, then asked curiously, “But why is Xiaoxuan helping with your case? Aren’t you from the Paranormal Bureau?”

“It’s not a big case,” Xing Tianqing explained. “Xiaoxuan’s just helping us with some leads.”

Zhang Wen didn’t look entirely convinced. In her mind, anything related to the Bureau was never simple.

Guan Xiaoxuan knew Zhang Wen was just worried about her, and she felt truly touched. If there was anything tying her to this place, it was definitely Zhang Wen.

“Don’t worry about me,” Guan Xiaoxuan reassured her. “Captain Xing is with me every day. I’m safe.”

“Well, okay,” Zhang Wen finally said. “Let’s go to the library together tomorrow?”

Guan Xiaoxuan shook her head. “I took a week off. If I’m back next week, we can go study together then.”

Although Zhang Wen still had doubts, she didn’t push. Knowing Xiaoxuan was about to leave, she talked to her as much as she could before reluctantly saying goodbye.

After leaving the school, Guan Xiaoxuan sat in the passenger seat, buckled her seatbelt, looked at Xing Tianqing, and asked, “Where are we going now?”

Xing Tianqing tapped the steering wheel with her fingers and said with a sigh, “Back to the Bureau, of course—to write reports.”