I'm Actually Panicking Because My Heart Doesn't Beat (GL) - Chapter 88

“You just left it here a few days ago, and it suddenly lit up once. It really scared me.”

Bai Zhiqi said this casually, but Guan Xiaoxuan was instantly stunned.

“You said it lit up once?” Guan Xiaoxuan asked urgently, “When exactly did it light up? Do you remember?”

Bai Zhiqi was startled by her sudden question, thought for a moment, then gave a time. Guan Xiaoxuan’s brows immediately furrowed.

Not for any other reason—because that day happened to be when Guan Xiaoxuan and Xing Tianqing were in the car, about to kiss, when suddenly a cat dropped from above with a ‘bang,’ interrupting their moment. Right after, Guan Wenjun came walking over.

Guan Xiaoxuan had already felt something was off back then. It was just too coincidental, too perfect to be a coincidence.

Now that Bai Zhiqi said the bead lit up at that exact time, Guan Xiaoxuan’s heart sank. She quickly ran next door to get the things she had stored there.

Everything was still intact. Guan Xiaoxuan picked up the bead and looked it over—it was exactly as she had left it.

“It only lit up that one time; the rest of the time, it looks like this,” Bai Zhiqi said, standing behind Guan Xiaoxuan with her arms crossed. “Guan Xiaoxuan, this bead is getting more and more mysterious.”

How could Guan Xiaoxuan not agree?

This was the bead Jin Cheng gave to Haohao when he was wandering in the mist—it was by chance they met, and he handed it over to him.

But thinking about it now—was it really just chance?

Did Jin Cheng know Haohao would meet him, or was this bead arranging fate?

Guan Xiaoxuan couldn’t figure it out, but she knew she couldn’t delay anymore. She decided she had to find a chance to ask Jin Cheng about it.

Friday afternoon, Guan Xiaoxuan took a leave and went to the hospital where Chen Man was staying. She bought a bouquet of fresh flowers at the entrance and, like a regular visitor, held the bright bouquet as she went to the ward.

Guan Xiaoxuan had been here once before but asked the nurse on duty to confirm the room number to avoid mistakes. Once she got the correct info, she went to Chen Man’s ward.

The room was already crowded. Guan Xiaoxuan saw Chen Man’s parents busy packing to take her home. They paused when they noticed Guan Xiaoxuan standing at the door.

“Guan Xiaoxuan?” Chen Man was the first to speak. She was already dressed but still had a cast on her shoulder; her whole arm couldn’t move.

Seeing her like this, Guan Xiaoxuan smiled and walked in. “I heard you’re getting discharged today, so I came to see you.”

Chen Man let her hair down. Whether from recovering from a serious illness or seeing her lifesaver, her expression was soft and warm as she smiled, “Thank you. I still need to rest for a while at home, but at least I saved this arm. I really appreciate it.”

“No need to thank me.” Guan Xiaoxuan didn’t know if Chen Man’s parents knew what happened on bus 444, so she didn’t mention it. She only exchanged a few polite words and then placed the flowers on the table nearby.

Chen Man’s parents poured her a cup of water and said kindly, “You must be Guan Xiaoxuan, right? I remember you and that female police officer coming last time.”

Guan Xiaoxuan smiled and said, “I’m a classmate of Chen Man’s. I came to visit her.”

“I’ve heard from Manman herself—if you hadn’t bravely fought that thug on the bus, she might not have made it.”

Guan Xiaoxuan froze, holding the cup.

Bravely fought a thug on the bus?

Chen Man really said that???

Noticing Guan Xiaoxuan’s awkward smile, Chen Man poked her and whispered, “That’s what the Paranormal Bureau tells the public. Otherwise, how could I say I lost my arm because of a ghost?”

Guan Xiaoxuan glanced at her and quietly said, “But they can’t say I bravely fought a thug on the bus either. Sounds like I’m some tough guy.”

Chen Man just smiled and said nothing.

Later, a few more visitors came to see Chen Man. Guan Xiaoxuan didn’t recognize them, so she sat quietly, listening to their chatter, her gaze drifting outside to the balcony. She wondered when Jin Cheng would arrive.

Lost in thought, Guan Xiaoxuan suddenly felt something was off around her.

The next moment, Song Yi stepped out from behind her and stood beside her.

Turning around, Guan Xiaoxuan saw that everyone in the ward had completely stopped moving—as if time had frozen. They still held the same smiling, chatting expressions but didn’t move at all.

Just as Guan Xiaoxuan was on guard, she saw the door being pushed open from outside.

A man dressed in a black suit walked in — he was Jin Cheng’s assistant. Right behind him, Jin Cheng himself stepped in slowly. He still had that flashy, peacock-like appearance: a casual golden patterned suit paired with a small black hat, looking both charming and handsome.

Guan Xiaoxuan sized Jin Cheng up from head to toe, then stood up from her chair and said, “Boss Jin.”

“Miss Guan.” Jin Cheng smiled warmly at her, weaving his way past the people in the hospital room to stand in front of her. “Long time no see.”

“Though we haven’t seen each other in a while, we’ve been in touch quite a bit.”

“Miss Guan, you must have something to say to me, right?”

Jin Cheng looked at Guan Xiaoxuan with a light laugh and said, “I don’t have much time, so just ask whatever you want directly.”

“Then I won’t beat around the bush.” Guan Xiaoxuan pulled a glass bead from her backpack and handed it to Jin Cheng.

“This bead, I got it from Haohao at the Xinglin City Welfare Institute. I’m sure you remember it?” Guan Xiaoxuan watched Jin Cheng’s expression carefully and slowly said, “This thing seems to have signs of life. It can even affect the environment around it.”

Jin Cheng looked at the plain glass bead and thought for a moment before saying, “Indeed, this is something I sent out.”

“You’re not surprised it ended up in my hands?”

“Not at all. From the moment I first saw you, I knew you’d have it sooner or later.”

Jin Cheng’s words still confused Guan Xiaoxuan. She frowned and asked, “Why do you think that? What exactly is this bead?”

Jin Cheng was silent for a long moment before saying, “I can’t tell you that yet.”

“Why not?” Guan Xiaoxuan was puzzled. “Why can it affect things around it? What is it really? Why does it show signs of life?”

Facing all her questions, Jin Cheng stayed calm, his gaze shifting from her face to the bead in her hand. “I can only tell you it’s alive. In the Bureau of the Weird, its level should be classified as S-level.”

“S-level?” Guan Xiaoxuan had never heard of that before. In her experience, strange items were only classified as A, B, C, or D.

“That’s right. Above A-level, there’s S-level. Items of this level are no longer simple objects. They have their own thoughts and are living things.” Jin Cheng spoke calmly, “So far, I’ve only seen a dozen or so S-level items, but without exception, they’re all very powerful.”

“Powerful?” Guan Xiaoxuan looked at the glass bead in her hand. Besides feeling its activity and control over nearby things, she hadn’t noticed anything especially strong about it.

After all, this bead could only move items under ten pounds within a few hundred meters.

In other words, trying to carry a sack of rice upstairs with this bead would be a struggle.

How could it be “powerful”?

Jin Cheng probably guessed what she was thinking and smirked slightly. “It’s still under a seal that hasn’t been lifted. When that seal breaks, you’ll see just how powerful it really is.”

Guan Xiaoxuan stared silently at the bead, her brow furrowed tightly.

If Jin Cheng was telling the truth, then this bead could influence the things around it, warn of dangers early, and even change nearby objects — truly a powerful thing.

But what was this seal?

And how would it be lifted?

“I’ve answered your questions,” Jin Cheng said, standing in front of her. “Time is almost up. If we delay any longer, the Bureau of the Weird might notice.”

Only then did Guan Xiaoxuan realize that everything around them had been paused. Curious, she asked, “Is this your ability? Or your assistant’s?”

Jin Cheng smiled but didn’t answer. He just told her, “When I release my ability, please don’t speak to me. Just act like we’re meeting as strangers.”

Guan Xiaoxuan nodded. The next moment, everything returned to normal. She was still sitting on the chair near the balcony. She didn’t even notice when Song Yi slipped back into her shadow.

At that moment, the door opened again. It was Jin Cheng’s assistant once more. Everyone’s eyes turned toward the door.

When Chen Man saw Jin Cheng, her eyes lit up immediately, but she maintained her composure and greeted, “President Jin.”

Guan Xiaoxuan also greeted Jin Cheng. After all, in front of others, he was the man who saved her life — being too cold would seem odd.

After leaving the hospital, Guan Xiaoxuan watched as Jin Cheng’s car took Chen Man and her family away. She herself was left sitting at the bus stop, frowning deeply in thought.

Four hundred kilometers away at the Bureau of the Weird headquarters, Xing Wenjun stepped out of a car, holding documents as she strode toward the tall building.

This was the Bureau’s main office in Lai District, a top-secret national facility. The area was heavily guarded with military equipment, including army helicopters, all protecting the headquarters.

Xing Wenjun stepped on the marble floor of the office building, swiped her work ID card, and completed iris verification before entering her office with the documents.

“Director Xing, you’re back.” Xing Wenjun’s secretary hurried over and poured her a cup of hot tea. “Did you find anything on this trip?”

“There was some progress.” Xing Wenjun smiled lightly. “I’ve put together a report. Please make a few copies for me. This information is highly confidential—do not leak it under any circumstances.”

“I understand.” The secretary took the file and glanced at it.

The report was an investigation on one person. The subject’s name was Guan Xiaoxuan. Several pages recorded her entire life, as well as all events before and after she joined the Xinglin City Bureau of the Weird.

The final evaluation read:

[Investigation result: The subject has a high awareness of counter-surveillance and has had close contact with Jin Cheng. Bl00d samples have lost activity and show no biological characteristics. It is reasonably suspected that the subject is a mutated paranormal.]

[Disposition: The paranormal cannot remain and must be eliminated as soon as possible.]