My Partner Always Wants to Dig My Grave - Chapter 25

The howling cold wind and the jolting of the carriage roused Si Wan from her slumber. Just then, she heard a youthful voice.

“Father is so biased, sending only me away, and coaxing me into leaving with this mere dagger as if I were a child.”

Though the speaker’s tone carried a hint of discontent, her hands still played eagerly with the exquisite dagger.

Dazed by the carriage’s swaying, it took Si Wan a moment to locate the source of the voice.

The person had grown considerably since Si Wan last saw her in a dream. Though her face remained obscured, Si Wan could almost picture the pride etched in her expression. Despite her complaints, she was already seated in the carriage heading home.

Her hair was simply adorned with a single jade hairpin, identical to the one Si Wan now held in her hand.

As the gauze curtain lifted in the wind, Si Wan’s peripheral vision caught a glimpse of the desolate wilderness outside.

Winter had arrived, the wild grass lay withered and drooping, and the distant trees stood bare, their dried leaves drifting aimlessly in the air.

Shifting her gaze from the indistinct face, Si Wan’s eyes fell silently upon the finely crafted dagger being toyed with in the girl’s hands.

The blade, inlaid with gold and jade, gleamed sharply, its cold reflection sending a shiver down one’s spine.

Well-preserved, it seemed less a weapon of death and more a symbol of noble status.

Clearly not an object a child could possess, Si Wan surmised from the girl’s earlier words and prior knowledge that it was likely spoils of war from her father’s victory, a gift meant to coax her into returning home.

Just then, the sound of approaching hoofbeats echoed from afar, as if someone were urgently chasing after them.

The girl inside the carriage tensely peered outside and, upon recognizing the rider, immediately ordered the driver to halt.

Curious, Si Wan followed her out.

The rider’s horse halted beside Si Wan, casting a shadow over her. Backlit, she couldn’t make out the newcomer’s features, but as he swiftly dismounted, she heard his sorrowful voice.

“Miss, the general has been defeated. The Xiongnu are advancing northward. You must return to the capital at once!”

Without pleasantries or elaboration, his few words conveyed the grim news.

Yet, the girl standing beside Si Wan, barely reaching her shoulder, froze upon hearing this, the dagger slipping from her grasp. After a long moment, she snapped back to reality, grabbing the messenger’s collar in agitation.

“What about Father and my brothers? Where are they?”

The messenger lowered his head, unable to meet her gaze. Gritting his teeth, he delivered the unbearable truth.

“The general and the young marshal… were beheaded…”

Before he could finish, she released his collar, covering her ears in anguish as if to block out the words. But the messenger’s presence confirmed this was no nightmare.

Young and suddenly struck by such tragedy, her heart shattered, leaving her at a loss. She could only murmur repeatedly, “Impossible…”

The person wanted to comfort her, but before he could speak, he saw a stubborn glint flash in her glistening eyes. Before he could react, she had already untethered the horse from the carriage, mounted it, and galloped away along the path she had come from.

Seeing this, the man quickly mounted his own horse and gave chase, calling out urgently from behind her, “Miss, your mother is waiting for you at home!”

At his words, she abruptly tugged on the reins, and the horse beneath her whinnied as it came to a halt.

In the bleak, cold wind, her robes fluttered wildly. Her sorrowful gaze fixed on a distant direction, as if searching for something unseen.

But the man’s words echoed in her mind, forcing her to withdraw her gaze. The confusion in her eyes vanished as she wiped away the moisture at the corner of her eye. When she looked up again, she had concealed her vulnerability, replacing it with resolve.

With a twist of her wrist, she tightened the reins once more and declared, “We return to the capital. Mother is waiting for me. I fear she cannot bear this blow.”

Si Wan stood on the desolate ground, watching as the figure on horseback approached. The rider swept past her without a glance, the wind she brought failing to reach Si Wan. Yet, an uncontrollable, bone-chilling cold seeped into her heart, and a hollow emptiness surged through her, spreading painfully to every limb.

Withered leaves danced in the wind, swirling and falling before her, obscuring her vision. When her sight cleared again, a white silk ribbon brushed past her.

The oppressive atmosphere made her turn to the side. Her eyes traveled upward from the gate draped in white silk, where the bold, stark characters “Si Residence” came into view.

Before Si Wan could process the scene, the gate swung open. A woman clad in white hemp robes, frail and seemingly on the verge of collapse, was supported as she stepped out.

“Has she returned? Has she come back?” the woman murmured, her gaze fixed intently on the figure galloping down the long street. She clutched her maid’s hand tightly, coughing intermittently with great effort.

Seeing the household gathered outside to welcome her, the distant rider tightened her grip on the reins once more.

Dismounting, the figure rushed forward, her white robes billowing with a tragic elegance. In the blink of an eye, Si Wan saw her throw herself into the woman’s embrace.

Days of pent-up emotions seemed to erupt at that moment. She sobbed uncontrollably, unable to form a coherent sentence.

The woman, though weak and unsteady herself, held her close with deep affection, unwilling to let go. She tried to whisper soothing words, but as soon as she opened her mouth, a long-suppressed surge of blood rose to her throat. The metallic sweetness spread, forcing her to close her lips.

Si Wan knelt beside them, her brow furrowed with unconscious anxiety. “Quick, take her to see a physician!” she urged.

Yet, after speaking, Si Wan froze for a moment. In modern times, one would seek a doctor, but here, she had instinctively said “physician.”

Noticing her mother’s distress, she quickly asked with concern, “Mother, what’s wrong?”

Pale-faced, the woman forced herself to swallow the blood in her mouth under her daughter’s worried gaze and reassured her, “It’s nothing, my child. I’m fine.”

But as she finished speaking, the metallic sweetness flooded her mouth once more. This time, she could not swallow it in time.

Warm blood trickled from the corner of her lips. No matter how she tried to hide it, it was futile.

She began to panic, trying to wipe away her mother’s blood. The white sleeves of her robe were stained crimson, but her mother’s bleeding did not stop.

Growing increasingly pale and weak, her mother seemed to realize her time was near. With her last ounce of strength, she grabbed her daughter’s wrist, stopping her frantic movements. Struggling to maintain her usual gentle tone, she spoke with boundless remorse.

“My child, I’m sorry to have failed you. I’ve left you with the burden of guarding this household alone…”

Si Wan’s eyes flickered with an unreadable emotion as she heard this. When she turned to look at the person weeping uncontrollably, the bloodstains on their robes had vanished. The woman who had just breathed her last was nowhere to be seen, replaced by a coffin in the distance.

Ashes of burnt paper in the brazier before her were lifted by the wind, sparkling with embers before disappearing entirely.

She bowed her head, and Si Wan could no longer tell if she was still crying.

The steward hurried in, his expression anxious.

“Young… Mistress, someone from the palace has arrived.”

The abrupt change in address made Si Wan frown in confusion. The person who had been kneeling for an unknown length of time rose to their feet. Having gone without food or drink for so long, their voice was hoarse and dry.

“Yes, thank you for your trouble.”

The steward looked at her with pity, opening his mouth to offer comfort, but in the end, no words came out.

The visitor was an envoy from the emperor. Seeing the object in his hand, she knelt respectfully and listened to the shrill voice proclaim:

“The Si family has served with merit… having sacrificed for the nation. His Majesty, moved by pity for the sole surviving heir, bestows… a reward of a thousand catties and a hundred bolts of silk. Let Si Wan receive this decree on their behalf.”

Hearing the name, Si Wan trembled violently. As if sensing something, she turned to look at the ancestral hall, where three wooden tablets were enshrined. One of them bore her name.

She stared at that name for a long moment, then shifted her gaze to the person kneeling to receive the decree. Their jet-black hair made the jade hairpin stand out even more. In the sunlight, the white jade appeared flawless and translucent, leaving Si Wan dazed.

In that instant, she seemed to grasp something intangible. Her clenched fists tightened until pain shot through her palms, jolting her back to awareness.

Then, someone shook her awake. A familiar, anxious voice called her name from beside her ear.

“Si Wan, Si Wan…”

Hearing that voice, Si Wan emerged from the dream, but her brow furrowed even more deeply, worrying the person calling her name.

Si Wan slowly opened her eyes. The glaring light made it hard to see the person before her clearly, but she caught a glimpse of a familiar shade of red and instinctively murmured the other’s name, the indescribable pain from the dream still lingering.

“Sheng Zhen.”

It seemed only upon hearing this name that she could find any peace.

“I’m here. I’ve always been here.”

Sheng Zhen watched Si Wan’s dazed expression, her heart aching with sympathy. Her tone was soothing as she spoke.

Gradually, Si Wan’s vision cleared, and she saw Sheng Zhen’s worried face before her. She sat up, raising a hand to rub her temples, but as she did, she noticed the bloodstains on her palm, the result of her own clenched fists. The metallic scent of blood hung in the air, pulling her thoughts back to the dream, to that wooden tablet bearing her name.

Sheng Zhen grasped her hand, covering both the blood and the wound. The cool touch brought Si Wan back to the present, and she focused her gaze on Sheng Zhen.

Sheng Zhen pursed her lips and spoke to Si Wan.

“You’re crying again.”

After saying this, she casually pulled out a tissue and wiped away the tears that Si Wan hadn’t even realized were there.

Feeling the tissue brush across her face, Si Wan’s gaze met Sheng Zhen’s eyes. In the other’s pupils, her own reflection was mirrored, that earnest, meticulous expression seemed familiar somehow.

Si Wan lowered her eyes slightly, not stopping the other’s actions, and responded softly with a hum.

The warm morning sun once again filtered through the leaves and the window, casting a dappled pattern of tree shadows on the floor. A gentle breeze drifted in, bringing a touch of coolness.

“You used to cry a lot before, and it was always me who comforted you.” Sheng Zhen said.

As she spoke, she seemed to recall something, a faint smile unconsciously curling at the corners of her lips. She deliberately pressed the tissue a little harder, and upon seeing Si Wan’s furrowed brow, she chuckled with satisfaction.

The stinging sensation on her face made Si Wan grab the other’s wrist, and Sheng Zhen promptly lowered her hand.

In the silence between them, the door to the hospital room was knocked, breaking the quiet.

“Professor Si, are you awake?”

Hearing Song Yan’s voice, Si Wan remembered Guan Yue’s warning for her to rest these past couple of days.

Song Yan likely knew she was recuperating. If it weren’t for something urgent, Guan Yue wouldn’t have allowed Song Yan to bother her at a time like this.

Si Wan straightened her expression and spoke calmly.

“Come in.”

As expected, when Song Yan entered, she wore a troubled expression.

Seeing this, Si Wan didn’t waste words and asked directly.

“Is something wrong?”

Song Yan nodded, then opened her phone, tapped on something, and handed the device to Si Wan.

“Professor Si, I know you’re still recovering, and we really didn’t want to disturb you. But there’s a problem over there, and even Professor Guan couldn’t handle it.”

Si Wan’s eyes fell on the phone screen, and she frowned slightly. Out of the corner of her eye, she glanced subtly at Sheng Zhen, who was sitting beside her, leaning against her shoulder and also looking at the screen.

…