I'm Actually Panicking Because My Heart Doesn't Beat (GL) - Chapter 81

Guan Xiaoxuan kept thinking about what Xing Wenjun had said.

On the surface, it sounded like she was complimenting her, but no matter how she listened, it made her feel uncomfortable—like Xing Wenjun was expecting her to accomplish something impossible.

It wasn’t until she sat at the bus stop that Guan Xiaoxuan remembered she had planned to visit Xing Tianqing at the lab. Instead, she ended up meeting her mother first.

Thinking back, it felt like Xing Wenjun had known she would be at the Exchange Center today. The whole thing gave Guan Xiaoxuan a weird feeling.

Just then, Xing Wenjun’s earlier question popped into her mind again.

Did she somehow know that I’ve been hiding a few special items?

But how would she know I have them?

Guan Xiaoxuan was confused. She had intentionally left all her items at home today, since there would be a lot of people around and she didn’t want to risk getting exposed.

But from Xing Wenjun’s tone, it seemed like she was hinting at something—which left Guan Xiaoxuan more puzzled than ever.

Suddenly, a memory flashed in her mind.

It was back when Haohao gave her that glass bead. She’d wanted to sell it for some quick cash, but weird things kept happening on the way to the café. A bunch of unexpected delays turned a simple trip into a confusing mess. And just as she was about to enter the café, a flowerpot fell from above and almost hit her.

Later, she realized that the glass bead might be alive—it could somehow affect the events around her, causing all kinds of strange “coincidences.”

Now that she thought about it, that was the only time she had ever tried to sell one of her strange items.

And when she left the café, she only caught a glimpse of the buyer’s back.

The person had an average build and looked a little like Xing Wenjun, but since she never saw the buyer’s face, she couldn’t be sure.

Other than that, she really didn’t know why Xing Wenjun gave her such a strange feeling.

As she was lost in thought, a car slowly pulled up to the bus stop.

The window rolled down, and Xing Tianqing looked at her and asked, “Why are you sitting here alone?”

Guan Xiaoxuan blinked and replied, “I’m waiting for the bus.”

Xing Tianqing glanced at the time and said, “The last bus already left. What are you waiting for? Get in—I’m heading back too.”

That’s when Guan Xiaoxuan realized the last bus had come and gone. She’d been sitting there lost in thought for half an hour. Embarrassed, she quickly got up and opened the car door.

“I didn’t even notice the time,” she said as she buckled her seatbelt. “I came to the Exchange Center this afternoon to return the Seven-Star Begonia, and then your mom asked me to chat with her in a conference room for like an hour.”

Xing Tianqing turned to her, surprised. “You met my mom?”

“Yeah,” Guan Xiaoxuan nodded. “Turns out your mom’s the director of the Bureau of Anomalies. I only found out today. But honestly, you and your mom don’t look anything alike.”

Xing Tianqing lowered her eyes and said, “That’s because I’m adopted.”

Guan Xiaoxuan froze. “I’m sorry—I didn’t know…”

“It’s fine. You would’ve found out eventually anyway.” Xing Tianqing didn’t start driving. Instead, she shifted the car to the side and parked. “She never got married. I heard she adopted me when I was around two or three years old. That’s why we don’t look alike at all.”

“Well, that’s not a big deal,” Guan Xiaoxuan said, trying to comfort her. “She seems like a really good person.”

“She is. She’s always treated me very well,” Xing Tianqing said. “I’ve known since I was little that I wasn’t her biological child. She never hid it from me. After I graduated from university, I joined the Bureau too.”

Guan Xiaoxuan nodded and asked, “But why don’t you live together? Does she work in a different city?”

“She’s usually at the headquarters. I think she came here just for your situation. I only found out she was in town this afternoon,” Xing Tianqing explained, her hands resting on the steering wheel. “She’s really busy—some years we barely see each other. And since I’m not her biological child, there’s a bit of distance between us…”

As she said this, her expression grew sad. Her face was calm, but there was a trace of sorrow in her eyes.

Seeing her like that, Guan Xiaoxuan gently reached out and held her fingertips. “Don’t think like that. Maybe you’re just both too busy. If you spent more time together, you’d probably get a lot closer. Since I’m finally out now, do you want to go visit her?”

Feeling the warmth of her hand, Xing Tianqing gave a slight smile. “No need. I already saw her when she arrived. She’s staying here for a while—she’s got some things to take care of.”

“You’re not going home with her?”

“No.”

Xing Tianqing sighed. “She still loves work more.”

Guan Xiaoxuan thought for a second, then smiled. “Actually, you’re just like your mom. You both love working.”

Xing Tianqing glanced at her. “Are you teasing me right now?”

“Of course not,” Guan Xiaoxuan said with a grin. “Having a job to focus on is a good thing. Look at me—I’ve been doing nothing lately. Feels like I’m wasting my life.”

“Not for much longer,” Xing Tianqing said, holding her hand. “Starting next Monday, you’ll be back in class. And with how well you’ve done lately, you might even be recruited as a full member of the Bureau.”

Guan Xiaoxuan’s eyes widened. “You can join the Bureau before graduating?”

“Rules are made by people. If you’ve got the skills, you can definitely join. You’ll still have to go through a trial period, though—it won’t be official right away.” Xing Tianqing looked at her with a smirk. “By the way, didn’t you say you’d treat me to dinner once you were free?”

“I did,” Guan Xiaoxuan smiled. “How about tonight?”

“Sounds good.” Xing Tianqing let go of her hand and started the car. “What do you want to eat?”

“Hot pot. How’s that?”

“Perfect. Let’s go get hot pot.”

Late that night, Guan Xiaoxuan suddenly found herself sitting in the living room at home, looking around in confusion.

Is this… a dream?

She guessed maybe Bai Zhiqi was coming to visit her again.

But before she could think more about it, her eyes landed on the front door—and she watched as someone opened it from the outside.

A man in a black suit stepped in—it was the bodyguard from Jin Cheng’s household. He walked right into her home and stopped in front of her.

“You?” Guan Xiaoxuan looked up at him curiously. “Why are you in my dream? Does Mr. Jin want to tell me something?”

The man calmly looked at her and said, “Miss Guan, if I’m not mistaken, are you planning to meet with our boss tomorrow?”

Guan Xiaoxuan didn’t deny it. “Yeah, I have a few questions I want to ask him in person.”

“It would be best if you avoided Pengpai Bay for the time being,” the man said calmly. “The director sent me to tell you that the Bureau has sent people to investigate him. To avoid dragging you into it, he thinks it’s best if you stay away for now.”

“Is that really from him?” Guan Xiaoxuan frowned. “Why didn’t he tell me himself?”

“He’s human,” the man replied plainly. “He can’t appear in your dreams. If you have anything you want to tell him, you can say it now—or let the spirit hiding in your shadow pass the message along.”

So this is their way of encrypted communication?

Guan Xiaoxuan sighed. “I don’t really have anything to say to him. Honestly, I’d rather not get involved at all.”

“Understood.” The man lowered his eyes respectfully. “Then I’ll take my leave. Sweet dreams.”

He quietly closed the door behind him.

Only then did Guan Xiaoxuan slowly wake up from the dream.

She could still remember everything from the dream and rubbed her head as she sat up.

Looking around, she saw Song Yi standing at the foot of the bed again. She wasn’t even scared anymore—after seeing her so often, it just felt normal. Song Yi even looked a little upset, probably because she couldn’t stop that man from entering the dream.

[I couldn’t stop him… He was way too strong…]

Hearing Song Yi’s pitiful complaint, Guan Xiaoxuan didn’t get mad. She just sighed. “It’s fine. He only came to say a few things.”

Thinking about Jin Cheng’s warning, she figured it wasn’t just him—she might also be under surveillance now. She turned to Song Yi and said, “You’d better stay hidden for a while. If someone spots you, it’ll be a big problem.”

Song Yi nodded and said:

[Across the street… someone’s there…]

And then she vanished into the shadows.

Guan Xiaoxuan was trying to make sense of what Song Yi meant by “someone’s there” when suddenly, she heard two knocks at her front door.

She lived alone, so her bedroom door was usually left open. The knocking echoed loudly in the quiet house.

Who would be knocking this early in the morning?

Still half-asleep and confused, she got up, grabbed a loose coat from her closet, and shuffled over to the door with messy hair.

Peeking through the peephole, she saw Xing Tianqing standing outside—carrying something in her hand.

“Captain Xing, what brings you here so early?” Guan Xiaoxuan asked as she opened the door and saw Xing Tianqing standing outside. “It’s the weekend… and it’s barely past seven, right?”

Xing Tianqing blinked and smiled when she saw how groggy Guan Xiaoxuan looked. “Did I wake you up?”

“No, I just got up too.” Guan Xiaoxuan stepped aside to let her in, her eyes landing on the food container in Xing Tianqing’s hands.

“What’s that?” she asked curiously. “Breakfast?”

“Yep.” Xing Tianqing set the container down on the dining table and said, “I bought some breakfast today and accidentally got too much, so I brought some over for you.”

“You didn’t need to put it in a thermal container, though,” Guan Xiaoxuan said, puzzled. She glanced at Xing Tianqing’s outfit—it looked like she was dressed to go out. “Are you going somewhere today?”

Xing Tianqing nodded, then turned back to look at her and said, “My mom called and said she wants to move in with me. I’m heading to the hotel to pick her up.”