My Partner Always Wants to Dig My Grave - Chapter 13

A chilly wind swept through the cornfield, its cold seeping through the fabric and raising goosebumps on the skin.

The female ghost drifted in a circle around the bruised and battered man, her presence suffocating, as if plunging one into an icy lake.

Though the man was already beaten beyond recognition, Sheng Zhen remained unsatisfied, her kicks landing without the slightest restraint.

“Are you sure you don’t want to grant him death?”

Sheng Zhen walked over to Si Wan, reaching out to play with the strands of hair that fell over her shoulders. Every word and gesture carried a natural air of nobility, compelling submission.

Si Wan turned on her phone’s flashlight again, her gaze lingering on the hand toying with her hair. The pale skin and dark strands formed a stark contrast.

After waiting a long while without a response from Si Wan, Sheng Zhen pouted and pinched Si Wan’s cheek, a hint of displeasure in her tone.

“Don’t pretend you can’t hear me again. I know you heard. If you don’t answer, I’ll start scaring people.”

As for who she intended to scare, it was obvious.

Si Wan furrowed her brows slightly. The touch on her face felt like being struck by ice, but she merely raised her hand and gently brushed the other’s hand away before speaking calmly.

“Not here.”

Sheng Zhen wasn’t angered by having her hand pushed aside, but Si Wan’s words suddenly reminded her of something. A flicker of excitement gleamed in her crimson eyes, unsettling in the darkness. She drifted behind the man on the ground and looked up at Si Wan, her tone brimming with enthusiasm.

“If not here, then let’s drag him to my mausoleum. I’ve had many traps installed there, but no one reckless enough has tried them yet.”

The more she spoke, the more feasible the idea seemed. Her gaze toward the nearly terrified man took on a sinister amusement, as if observing a lab rat.

Si Wan didn’t respond, but upon hearing Sheng Zhen’s words, she seemed to recall something. She crouched down, her fingers brushing against the soil on the ground, lightly rubbing the dirt before shining her phone’s light on it.

Staring at the strangely familiar-colored soil, she lowered her gaze, lost in thought.

Seeing her like this, Sheng Zhen’s expression shifted briefly before quickly returning to normal. Whether intentional or not, she lifted her foot and nudged the man on the ground.

Immediately, the man’s face twisted in terror as he screamed, “There’s a ghost!”

The piercing shriek forced Si Wan to cover her ears. When she looked up, she saw Sheng Zhen feigning innocence, leaving her with no choice but to sigh in resignation.

Just then, rustling sounds emerged from the cornfield again. Si Wan’s eyes instantly sharpened with alertness. She shone her phone’s light toward the noise and spotted two figures approaching.

“Professor Si!”

Song Yan and Liu Yaoyao hurried over, relief washing over their faces when they saw Si Wan unharmed.

“Professor Si, we only realized halfway that you hadn’t followed us. Yaoyao and I panicked and immediately turned back to find you.” Song Yan explained, her voice tinged with lingering fear.

Si Wan stood up and glanced at the two, who were still catching their breath, before speaking calmly.

“You walked too fast.”

Realizing it was their fault, Song Yan and Liu Yaoyao looked somewhat embarrassed.

“Sorry, Professor Si…”

Before Liu Yaoyao could finish her sentence, something suddenly grabbed her ankle, causing her to instinctively kick out.

“What’s wrong?!” Song Yan was startled by Liu Yaoyao’s reaction, her eyes instantly alert as she pulled the other girl behind her. “Is there someone else? Could it be a ghost?”

The sky had completely darkened, and even Liu Yaoyao couldn’t help letting her imagination run wild.

The man who had been knocked down again waved his hands excitedly upon seeing others, speaking in a panicked, flustered manner. “No, no… there’s a ghost…”

His words came out in broken, incoherent fragments.

Only after confirming it was a human did Song Yan comfort the girl behind her. “It’s not a ghost, just a person. Professor Si, you were here earlier, do you recognize him?”

After asking, Song Yan noticed Si Wan’s unusually pale expression.

Meanwhile, Liu Yaoyao recognized the man on the ground and frowned. “Uncle Jin, are you drunk again? And why is your face so swollen?”

She moved to help him up but was stopped by Si Wan.

The man recognized Liu Yaoyao too, but showed no relief. Under Si Wan’s sharp gaze, he shuddered involuntarily, then stood up on his own and stammered an explanation. “Ah, this… I fell on my own. Just need some ointment when I get back.”

Liu Jin didn’t tell the truth, not entirely because of Si Wan’s glare, but also because of the eerie, lingering giggles in his ears and that sinister, threatening voice: “If you dare speak of this, I’ll skin you alive and pull your tendons out.”

Terrified, Liu Jin clutched his head and muttered to himself, “No one hit me… I fell all by myself…”

Hearing the phrase “hit someone”, Song Yan glanced at Si Wan, who remained aloof and detached, as if completely uninvolved.

Si Wan was tall and slender, and even now, despite her pallor, she exuded an air of refined intellect, the very picture of a well-behaved student who’d never been in a fight. So even though Song Yan knew Si Wan had once won a sanda championship, she didn’t suspect her of violence.

Song Yan turned her attention to Liu Jin. “Your injuries look serious. You should go to the town hospital.”

Liu Jin waved his hands repeatedly, sneaking a glance at Si Wan as he recalled the video she’d recorded on her phone. He forced an awkward smile. “No need, no need. The hospital’s probably closed by now.”

He avoided looking at Si Wan again, turning instead to the only person he knew, Liu Yaoyao. “So, this is the teacher from the city you mentioned? Quite beautiful.”

He wanted to make more small talk, but Si Wan’s gaze felt like a red-hot brand searing his back, making him desperate to escape. “Well, uh… your uncle’s heading home now. Getting hungry and all.”

Without waiting for a response, he immediately fled, his figure disappearing into the cornfield, leaving only the nauseating mix of alcohol and damp earth hanging in the air.

Liu Yaoyao scratched her head apologetically and explained to Si Wan, “Sorry about that, Professor Si. Uncle Jin was one of the first to excavate that tomb. The police confiscated the burial artifacts he’d hidden a couple days ago, he’s probably upset and drank too much.”

“Greed knows no bounds.” Si Wan remarked coldly.

Upon hearing Si Wan’s words, Liu Yaoyao was momentarily stunned. She had no idea what had happened before she and Song Yan returned, but seeing Si Wan’s expression, she wisely refrained from asking further.

After hesitating for a moment, Si Wan spoke to Liu Yaoyao with a hint of caution.
“You should be more careful from now on.”

Though Liu Yaoyao didn’t quite understand, she smiled and replied,
“Professor Si, you might not know this, but in our village, even if human traffickers showed up, the villagers could beat them half to death before the police arrived.”

She meant to convey how united the villagers were, assuring Si Wan there was no need to worry. Yet, Si Wan shook her head, her expression serious as she said,
“I mean, be cautious of those around you. It’s always wise to guard against ill intentions.”

Recognizing Si Wan’s good intentions, Liu Yaoyao didn’t argue further and obediently agreed,
“Understood, Professor Si.”

Sheng Zhen approached Liu Yaoyao, leaning in for a closer look before chuckling,
“Such delicate skin and tender flesh on this young lady, you really ought to be careful. The most dangerous ones are those who hide wickedness behind a refined appearance.”

Liu Yaoyao felt a sudden chill, as if a cold breeze had brushed past her, making her shiver. She took a few steps back toward Song Yan and whispered,
“I still think there’s a ghost around.”

As soon as she said it, a creeping sensation crawled over her scalp.

Just as Song Yan was about to comfort her, Si Wan interrupted,
“Song Yan, take note of this location.”

Hearing this, Song Yan instinctively responded,
“Alright, Professor Si.”

Si Wan scanned the surroundings with her phone, but the limited light made it impossible to see everything clearly.

Noticing the familiar seriousness in Si Wan’s expression, Song Yan’s eyes lit up with delight as she said,
“Professor Si, you’re back?”

Si Wan frowned slightly, looking puzzled. She fell into a brief, inexplicable silence under the hopeful gazes of the two before asking in confusion,
“What do you mean, ‘I’m back’?”

Sheng Zhen, who knew the truth, laughed softly and remarked,
“This child speaks so amusingly. Your Professor Si has been right here by my side all along.”

The other two couldn’t hear Sheng Zhen’s voice, it was meant only for Si Wan, especially the deliberately drawn-out “Professor Si”, as if teasing her intentionally.

For some reason, Si Wan felt her face grow warm, only to be cooled by a pair of icy hands cupping her cheeks.

Sheng Zhen chuckled softly by Si Wan’s ear, her tone carrying a hint of deliberate temptation.
“Professor Si, that title sounds rather nice.”

Her words caused the warmth Si Wan had just managed to suppress to return, tinting her earlobes a faint pink, though her face remained outwardly calm.

Feeling slightly flustered, Si Wan turned her head away and coughed lightly, regaining her composure before addressing Song Yan and Liu Yaoyao.
“We’ve been delayed long enough on the road. Let’s not keep others waiting any longer.”

At this reminder, Liu Yaoyao seemed to recall something and exclaimed,
“I’ve been away from home for so long, my grandmother must be worried sick!”

With that, she hurriedly pulled Song Yan forward. Si Wan followed behind, and this time, she didn’t fall behind.

Watching the two playfully bickering ahead, Si Wan sighed helplessly. The gloom from their earlier encounter was temporarily set aside as her thoughts turned to other matters.

Sheng Zhen’s body felt light as she leaned against Si Wan’s shoulder, once again disturbing Si Wan’s peace of mind. Si Wan’s composure nearly faltered, and finally, unable to bear it any longer, she crossed the line of fear within her heart, reached out, and covered the other’s mouth, speaking in a low voice.

“Stop making noise.”

Si Wan deliberately lowered her voice, but in the quiet of the night with only a few of them around, the two people ahead couldn’t help but hear. They immediately stopped, exchanging suspicious glances as they tried to recall if they had been making any noise.

Realizing her rudeness, Si Wan’s hand, which had been covering Sheng Zhen’s mouth, moved to her own brow. She rubbed it briefly, then, feeling flustered, hastily made up an excuse.

“It’s not about you. It’s just that the mosquitoes here are too noisy.”

Liu Yaoyao immediately expressed understanding, saying, “This is the countryside. It’ll be much better once we get to the village. Let’s hurry.”

Urged by Liu Yaoyao, they quickened their pace.

Sheng Zhen, however, pursed her lips and, unusually, did not refute Si Wan’s words. She lay weakly on Si Wan’s back, muttering to herself, “You used to say I was as noisy as a mosquito too. It’s really annoying. I just…”

Sheng Zhen’s face rested on Si Wan’s shoulder. She bit her lip, her expression weary and tinged with grievance as she spoke. “I just wanted to talk to you. It’s been so long since I’ve heard your voice.”

Hearing the voice beside her ear, Si Wan’s fear of ghosts seemed to subside in that moment. She tilted her head slightly to look at the other’s profile. The fierce and intimidating demeanor from before was not the real her; this was her true self.

Unconsciously, Si Wan reached out and touched Sheng Zhen’s face. The unreal sensation carried the chill of polar ice. She should have pulled away immediately, but instead, she heard herself whisper almost inaudibly, “Mm.”

It was a simple response, but Sheng Zhen seemed not to have heard. She buried her head in Si Wan’s shoulder and refused to let Si Wan touch her anymore. To Si Wan, this behavior seemed like a tantrum.

Si Wan sighed inwardly and turned her gaze forward.

They were nearing the village entrance, where lights glowed and the sounds of a bustling crowd could be heard.

As they drew closer, they could make out the chanting of incomprehensible incantations. What stood out most was not the light but the rising flames.

“What are they doing?” Song Yan asked Liu Yaoyao beside her.

Liu Yaoyao looked over, her expression shifting. She glanced at Si Wan, whose face had turned cold again, and replied, “After Second Uncle returned that day, he was taken to the hospital but nothing was found, so Second Aunt brought him back. Today, they invited that fake Taoist priest from the east end of the village to perform a ritual. I thought it would be over by morning, but I didn’t expect them to still be at it tonight.”

She didn’t want Si Wan to form a superstitious impression of the place, but no matter how she explained, the people ahead only grew more fervent.

As Si Wan passed by, she glanced into the crowd. A man lay beside the fire, foaming at the mouth, trembling and muttering to himself. The fake Taoist priest’s loud incantations and wild dancing made it impossible to hear what the man was saying.

Watching the absurdly dressed and comically moving Taoist priest, Si Wan knew it was all fake, yet she instinctively looked at Sheng Zhen on her back.

Sheng Zhen, who had seemed listless just moments before, now had a gleam in her eyes. Pointing at the man on the ground, she exclaimed excitedly, “The hairpin! My hairpin is there!”

Upon hearing this, Si Wan frowned slightly but did not respond to Sheng Zhen’s words.

Seeing that Si Wan was about to leave, Sheng Zhen grew anxious and tugged at her hair, saying, “Why didn’t you bring it back for me?”

Annoyed by the disturbance, Si Wan finally replied in a low voice, “There are Taoist priests there.”

Her intention was to use the fake Taoist priests to scare Sheng Zhen into giving up, but Sheng Zhen merely snorted disdainfully and said, “I’m a thousand-year-old vengeful ghost, no one can subdue me.”

As a ghost, she was terrifyingly proud of it.

Watching her, Si Wan’s lips curved into a faint, unconscious smile, and her gaze softened slightly.

…