My Partner Always Wants to Dig My Grave - Chapter 19.2

As Si Wan watched the woman on the swing, she seemed to forget to question how warm sunlight could appear on such a rainy day, spilling into the woman’s smiling eyes. The scattered light enveloped her in a soft halo, making her so breathtakingly beautiful that one glance was enough to leave a lasting impression.

The swing gradually came to a stop. Sheng Zhen reined in the laughter in her eyes, her entire demeanor now exuding grace and elegance. Her gaze drifted over from afar, seeming to intersect with Si Wan’s, making one hold their breath, unwilling to disrupt the moment.

Sheng Zhen’s eyes held a scrutinizing look. She parted her lips as if to say something, but Si Wan couldn’t make out the words. Just as she strained to listen, she saw the other woman turn her head away and speak with clear displeasure.

“You ignore me again? What arrogance.”

Again?

Hearing Sheng Zhen’s mocking tone, Si Wan’s heart trembled inexplicably, though she knew it wasn’t out of aversion.

As Si Wan pondered the meaning behind that “again”, she heard the other woman let out a cold snort.

Seemingly annoyed by Si Wan’s prolonged silence, Sheng Zhen’s displeasure deepened. She rose and left with her maids, not granting Si Wan another glance.

Watching the figure about to vanish into the mist, Si Wan instinctively wanted to call out to her. But the white fog closed in once more, the rain curtain returned, and there were no flowers by the wall, no swing entwined with blossoms, and no trace of Sheng Zhen.

Only then did Si Wan realize that what she had seen was merely an illusion. Yet, the image of that woman was firmly etched in her mind.

She retreated into the house and sat down, rubbing her temples, but she couldn’t shake off the memory of that stunning figure.

Unable to forget, Si Wan could only revisit the scene in her mind, examining the Sheng Zhen of that moment.

Compared to the Sheng Zhen she knew as a ghost, this version was younger, her emotions vivid and clear, a far cry from the inscrutable darkness that now clouded her eyes.

Which period of Sheng Zhen was this?

Si Wan pondered carefully, reviewing the scene once more, and recalled the one sentence she had clearly heard the other woman speak.

From that single remark, Si Wan deduced that the two of them must have already known each other, but their relationship was far from friendly, Sheng Zhen seemed to harbor more contempt than anything else.

As the esteemed Grand Princess, it was only natural for her to be displeased when someone consistently disregarded her words.

Si Wan lowered her gaze slightly, her hand reaching into her pocket where an object lay carefully wrapped in soft cloth.

The shadows cast by her lashes obscured the fleeting, inscrutable emotion that flashed in her eyes.

The sound of pattering rain was suddenly accompanied by hurried footsteps, and Song Yan’s voice abruptly pulled Si Wan out of her thoughts.

“Professor Si.”

Si Wan’s expression returned to normal as she looked at the anxious Song Yan and asked, “What’s wrong?”

Song Yan took a few gasping breaths, ignoring her rain-soaked clothes, and urgently said to Si Wan, “Professor Si, something’s happened, there’s trouble at the tomb site. You need to come and see.”

Hearing this, Si Wan set aside everything else and followed Song Yan out the door.

Along the way, Si Wan listened as Song Yan briefly explained what had occurred, but upon hearing the details, she furrowed her brow and said, “It collapsed?”

“Not exactly. A hole suddenly appeared.” Song Yan quickly replied.

At this, Si Wan’s expression grew more serious, and she quickened her pace.

By the time Si Wan arrived at the site, Guan Yue and the others were already standing by the mysterious opening, huddled under more than a dozen umbrellas as they discussed something in the rain.

Villagers outside the cordoned-off area were being held back by Nian Nian and her team, but their curiosity drove them to crane their necks, trying to get a better look.

As Si Wan entered, she overheard the villagers exclaiming repeatedly, “How strange”, which only deepened her unease.

Sharp-eyed Guan Yue noticed Si Wan’s arrival, grabbed her by the arm, and pointed at the newly appeared opening. “This showed up today, but no one knows exactly when. The earliest anyone noticed it was around seven this morning, and it was already this big by then.”

Si Wan followed Guan Yue’s gesture and looked at the dark, gaping hole, its depth impossible to discern.

She crouched down, observing intently for a moment before calmly stating, “It’s not a looting tunnel. There probably aren’t any tomb raiders.”

If it were an entrance dug by looters, they would have had to risk their lives in such extreme conditions, meaning they’d be desperate enough to value money over survival.

If there were no tomb raiders, then how had this hole appeared?

As Si Wan pondered, she suddenly realized that this was the exact spot she had previously marked for excavation.

It was here, standing in this very place, that she had heard the faint sound of a zither rising from beneath the earth.

The thought sent a sudden jolt through her heart. Her gaze fixed on the pitch-black, bottomless opening as if trying to discern something within its depths.

“She’s calling me.” Si Wan murmured, her brow furrowed.

“Who? A ghost calling you?” Guan Yue, already agitated by the sudden appearance of the hole, failed to notice the oddity in Si Wan’s expression.

“Never mind who’s calling you, we need to figure out what’s going on with this opening.” Guan Yue urged.

Si Wan took a tissue and wiped the damp mud from her fingertips. After a moment’s thought, she said, “It’s likely that the heavy rain over the past few days caused part of the underground palace to collapse, creating this opening.”

However, all of this seemed far too coincidental, so much so that it raised suspicions of ill intentions.

Guan Yue frowned and said,
“That might be possible, but it’s still pouring rain. It’s not a good time for us to go in and investigate.”

Upon hearing this, Si Wan spoke in a serious tone,
“Indeed. If the rain continues like this, there’s a real risk of flooding below.”

No sooner had her words fallen than the relentless downpour abruptly lightened, gradually turning into a fine drizzle until only the humidity in the air remained palpable.

Before anyone could react, flowers swiftly sprouted beside the dark cave entrance, a place they had meticulously cleared just days ago, leaving not even a single weed.

Strangely, these flowers bypassed everyone else, extending directly to Si Wan’s feet, creating a scene reminiscent of the legendary “blossoms blooming with every step.”

This bizarre spectacle left the onlookers gasping in awe. Some instinctively pulled out their phones to capture the moment but were sharply reprimanded by Si Wan.
“Don’t record this.”

At her command, those who had just taken out their phones froze mid-action. Seeing the sternness in Si Wan’s eyes, they reluctantly put their devices away.

This display was meant for Si Wan alone, much like the mysterious music from before. It was a response to her words, but unlike the previous questioning, this time it felt like an invitation, free of resistance.

Sheng Zhen disliked others meddling with what was hers. The others were only witnessing this phenomenon because of Si Wan. If they recorded it, Si Wan was certain it would provoke displeasure.

As Si Wan pondered this, the flowers at her feet retracted back into the soil and vanished, as if everything that had just occurred was nothing but an illusion.

Yet, the lingering floral fragrance in the air served as a clear reminder to everyone, this was no illusion.

Guan Yue, equally astonished, couldn’t find a rational explanation but brushed it off lightly, turning to Si Wan with a playful remark,
“A supernatural phenomenon! The tomb’s occupant must fancy you.”

Si Wan: “…”

“But Professor Guan, this is a joint burial tomb for a married couple.” Song Yan interjected hesitantly.

…