I'm Actually Panicking Because My Heart Doesn't Beat (GL) - Chapter 8

“After professional testing, both the little red fox and the red paint on the wall are just paint mixtures. There’s no human bl00d involved. As for the three people sent to the hospital, they’ve regained consciousness and are currently giving their statements.”

Xiao An stood in front of the whiteboard, sticking a photo of the bright red little fox on it. Then she turned to everyone and said, “From what we can see, this red little fox is probably the ‘Red Lady’ that Guan Xiaoxuan and her group worship.”

“When will the statements from those three be ready?” Xing Tianqing asked.

Xiao An checked the time. “Almost done, I think. Jing Shan has been gone for half an hour; he should have finished recording the statements. Why hasn’t he come back yet?”

“Here he comes!”

At that moment, a man nearly 1.9 meters tall walked into the meeting room. He was the one who kicked the security door open — his name was Zhang Jingshan.

Behind Zhang Jingshan was a colleague named Song Yan, the person who had found information in the room by examining the floor.

“The statements are done,” Zhang Jingshan said, standing next to the whiteboard, his thick black eyebrows slightly furrowed. “I’ll organize them later, but first, let me tell you the details.”

“According to the boy’s statement, they were all university students nearby. The leader of their interest group is a woman named Cheng Yi, around 27 or 28 years old.”

Cheng Yi was the original founder of the “Red Lady.” She first posted on a local forum, attracting some young university students, then formed this interest group. She encouraged members to recruit more people.

The “Red Lady” is described as a red-haired, red-eyed fox. She often appears in dreams to those who make wishes, convincing them she can grant their desires.

On April 17, the “Red Lady” chose 20 people as targets for “sacrifices.” They all died in different ways. Most of their bodies were sent to the morgue at the Third Hospital for “Gu curing” (a type of witchcraft or poison treatment).

On the afternoon of the 18th, one man and two women, following instructions from the “Red Lady” in their dreams, painted the walls with red paint and covered them with countless talismans. They sat around a table praying to the “Red Lady.”

But at some point, they felt that the little wooden fox on the table — representing the “Red Lady” — seemed to come alive. They lost control of their bodies and quickly fell unconscious. If Xing Tianqing and the team hadn’t arrived in time, those three would likely have become drained corpses.

Everyone listened with tight brows. To them, 19 of the 20 chosen victims were already dead — a major case in any city. If not for Xing Tianqing’s timely intervention, three more would have died.

Most importantly, the “Red Lady” was still free and hadn’t been caught.

“Keep a close eye on those three,” Xing Tianqing said. “Since we interfered with the ‘Red Lady,’ she’ll definitely try to harm them again. Send some people to protect them. Also…”

Xing Tianqing looked at Xiao An. “What about that girl, Guan Xiaoxuan?”

“She’s still at the station,” Xiao An replied.

Xing Tianqing thought for a moment. “The ‘Red Lady’ will probably target her next. Take her to a side meeting room and order her some takeout. I want to talk to her.”

As a close colleague, Xiao An blinked and asked, “Captain Xing, are you planning to use Guan Xiaoxuan as bait to lure the ‘Red Lady’ out?”

Xing Tianqing didn’t answer immediately. After a pause, he said, “Whether she becomes bait or not, that’s up to Guan Xiaoxuan herself.”

But Xing Tianqing decided to be fully honest with Guan Xiaoxuan, believing she was smart enough to understand and cooperate with the police.

By now, Guan Xiaoxuan had been locked up for a whole day. She ate the police’s boxed lunch at noon but had no appetite. Without a heartbeat, she felt no hunger.

This was a problem. Guan Xiaoxuan worried — although this body wasn’t hers, she was currently using it.

Without a heartbeat or food, the body would quickly weaken. What would she do then?

She sighed deeply, then suddenly the door was pushed open. Xiao An, wearing a black trench coat, came in and said, “Guan Xiaoxuan, are you hungry? We ordered some takeout for you.”

Guan Xiaoxuan: “…”

No good deed comes without suspicion.

Still, she did need to eat. She couldn’t starve this body.

“What did you order?” she asked. “I don’t eat spicy food.”

Xiao An smiled and bent her eyebrows, “Not spicy. We got you pork cutlet rice, okay?”

Guan Xiaoxuan nodded and followed Xiao An out.

The Special Events Investigation Bureau had rented some rooms and meeting spaces at the police station. Everyone was finishing their meals now. The police officers on duty greeted Xiao An warmly, showing respect and envy.

Guan Xiaoxuan noticed their looks and thought this so-called “paranormal bureau” must have a very high status in society.

She didn’t know much about the police system or Xiao An’s rank in the black trench coat. She was just someone involved in this case, hoping it would end soon so she could figure out her next steps.

“Officer Xiao An,” Guan Xiaoxuan suddenly spoke, “Did you guys go to that investigation group this afternoon? Did you catch anyone? When will I be able to go home? I have a family waiting.”

Xiao An glanced back and smiled lightly, “Soon. Don’t worry, sister. Everything’s going smoothly. You won’t miss school or going home to feed your cat.”

Guan Xiaoxuan thought to herself: things are looking up.

The closer they got to the meeting room, the more she smelled the delicious food. Xiao An opened the office door and said, “You can come in now.”

Guan Xiaoxuan stepped inside and immediately saw Xing Tianqing sitting in an office chair. On the desk was a takeout box.

Standing at the door, Guan Xiaoxuan blinked at Xing Tianqing’s black eyes. He put on his thin glasses again, looking relaxed as he said, “Have a seat, Miss Guan.”

No good deed comes without suspicion x2.

Though she felt suspicious, Guan Xiaoxuan controlled her expression, smiled, and walked to her takeout. The smell of the pork cutlet rice was quite tempting.

Thump—

Thump-thump—

Suddenly, Guan Xiaoxuan’s heartbeat returned, strong and steady, as if it had never stopped.

The feeling was strange. She froze in place. Xing Tianqing noticed and asked, “What’s wrong?”

“N-nothing,” Guan Xiaoxuan hurriedly said, sitting down and covering her chest, feeling weird.

Though she’d faced many strange things, this was even stranger.

Her nearly dead heartbeat came back to life, and she realized every time it stopped or started, it seemed connected to this woman.

The first time was at her home. When the black-coated team burst in, just one glance at Xing Tianqing made her heart start beating again. She thought it was just a shock or stress reaction.

But later, when she woke up from memories, her heartbeat stopped again. Seeing Xing Tianqing revived it.

Guan Xiaoxuan tried to hide her thoughts by wiping her nose, then glanced at Xing Tianqing, who was holding a cup of coffee while reviewing some documents. As soon as she noticed Guan Xiaoxuan looking, she quickly looked away.

So sharp, that sixth sense.

Guan Xiaoxuan lowered her head and busily ate her takeout, then took a sip of water. She noticed Xing Tianqing watching her and swallowed nervously. “Officer Xing, do you… want to talk to me about something?”

Xing Tianqing smiled—a truly captivating smile—and said, “We at the Paranormal Bureau would like to ask for your help.”