My Partner Always Wants to Dig My Grave - Chapter 29

The setting sun seemed splashed with the most vibrant hues before slowly fading into silence. Warm and cool lights spilled from the windows of every household, mingling with the pale moonlight to cast a gentle glow over the ordinary country path.

The cold white light fell upon Sheng Zhen, making the stains on her crimson-stained dress appear particularly vivid, as if the thick scent of blood still lingered in the air.

Si Wan, tilting her head as she dried her hair with a towel, inadvertently glanced over and noticed Sheng Zhen sitting idly on the bed. Her gaze lingered on the other’s dress, and for some reason, a flicker of pity flashed in her eyes.

She didn’t know whether the blood on Sheng Zhen was her own or someone else’s. That time when their conversation was interrupted, she had sensed that Sheng Zhen didn’t want to discuss the matter and was deliberately hiding something. Though she remained curious afterward, she felt it inappropriate to press further.

Noticing Si Wan’s gaze, Sheng Zhen looked up. Seeing the other’s damp hair, she gestured for her to come closer.

Sheng Zhen’s posture was languid, her every movement exuding an air of nobility that made her gesture seem like a condescending act of charity. Her expression still carried an imperious, overbearing demeanor.

The bed dipped slightly as Si Wan sat down beside Sheng Zhen, now completely at ease, with no trace of the fear she once held for ghosts.

Before either of them spoke, the faint fragrance of Si Wan’s body wash lingered around her. Yet, in this strangely silent atmosphere, it inexplicably took on a subtly intimate quality.

Just as Si Wan turned to ask something, the towel in her hand was taken by the other. The cold tips of Sheng Zhen’s fingers brushed against her skin, whether intentionally or not.

Sheng Zhen muttered a complaint about the towel’s poor quality but soon moved in front of Si Wan, mimicking her earlier motions as she attempted to dry her hair.

Her actions were clumsy and uneven, often making Si Wan wonder if she was merely acting out of curiosity.

They were close, and because of Sheng Zhen’s movements, Si Wan could clearly see the details of the other’s dress, the bloodstains on the collar fading from deep to light, as if providing further clues to the assumptions forming in her mind.

Si Wan could sense Sheng Zhen’s inexperience and occasional impatience, yet the other never stopped drying her hair or showed any sign of displeasure.

When her hair was half-dry, Sheng Zhen paused. Aware that Si Wan was staring at the bloodstains on her collar, perhaps out of guilt, she leaned in before Si Wan could react.

The sudden closeness, the cold skin pressing against hers, jolted Si Wan out of her thoughts. Her breath hitched as she heard a deliberately seductive voice whisper by her ear.

“You’ve washed yourself so fragrantly. Were you purposely preparing to serve me in bed?”

Sheng Zhen’s words diverted Si Wan’s attention, the other’s icy presence seeming to barely contain the heat rising to her own cheeks.

Ghosts have no sense of taste, touch, or even smell. With a little thought, Si Wan knew Sheng Zhen was deliberately teasing her. Yet, she couldn’t suppress the strange feeling stirring within her.

After forcing herself to calm down, Si Wan finally remembered what she had originally intended to say. She pushed Sheng Zhen away slightly, then casually took the half-damp towel from the other’s hand. Her eyes were lowered, not quite focused on Sheng Zhen, as she spoke.

“Can you change your clothes?” Her words were cautious, as if afraid the other might think she was rejecting her.

Hearing Si Wan’s question, Sheng Zhen froze for a moment, seemingly surprised that Si Wan hadn’t asked about the question she had interrupted earlier, but was instead concerned about whether she could change out of her blood-stained clothes.

Seeing that Sheng Zhen remained silent for a long time, Si Wan looked up and met the other’s unwavering gaze. Her heart fluttered with panic for a moment, but she quickly spoke up to explain herself.

“I’m afraid you might be uncomfortable wearing that.”

As a ghost, Sheng Zhen naturally wouldn’t feel discomfort from clothing. Yet, after Si Wan’s reminder, she glanced at the blood on her clothes and found it particularly glaring.

“I can.”

Sheng Zhen curved her lips into a smile as she spoke.

“You can buy some and burn them for me.”

After saying this, as if recalling something, Sheng Zhen slightly furrowed her delicate brows and added a reminder.

“Make sure they’re pretty and expensive.”

Sheng Zhen, with her noble status, had been raised in luxury since childhood, living a life of opulence. Even an everyday dress of hers was exquisite enough to awe any museum. So, Si Wan wasn’t at all surprised by Sheng Zhen’s additional requirement.

Si Wan nodded and replied.

“Alright.”

Without even drying her hair properly, Si Wan picked up her phone and sent a message to Song Yan, asking her to inquire with Liu Yaoyao whether there was a funeral supplies shop in the village.

Upon receiving Si Wan’s message, Song Yan initially thought something serious had happened. But after opening and reading the message, she stared at the words “funeral supplies” and fell into a long silence.

Liu Yaoyao, sitting beside her, noticed her hesitant expression and asked with concern, “What’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?”

Hearing Liu Yaoyao’s voice, Song Yan snapped out of her daze. Frowning, she leaned closer to Liu Yaoyao’s ear and whispered, “Professor Si asked me to ask you if there’s…” She paused, choosing her words carefully before continuing in an even softer voice, “…a shop that sells things for the deceased here.”

Hearing this, Liu Yaoyao was momentarily stunned, a look of confusion in her eyes. She glanced at her grandmother before replying in an equally hushed tone, “Did someone in Professor Si’s family pass away?”

Song Yan’s frown deepened. “Professor Si lost her family when she was very young. Maybe she suddenly wants to pay her respects to them.”

After saying this, she found the explanation reasonable and no longer questioned Si Wan’s intentions. After discussing it with Liu Yaoyao for a few minutes, she sent a reply to Si Wan.

Meanwhile, Si Wan, who was still drying her hair, felt her phone vibrate. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Sheng Zhen pick up her phone, fiddle with it for a while without managing to unlock the screen, then lose interest and set it back down.

When Si Wan picked up her phone, the first message she saw was from Song Yan, a link to a livestream.

Si Wan stared at the brightly colored, eye-catching text on the live stream, her brow slightly furrowed. Just then, another message came in from Song Yan.

Song Yan: [Professor Si, Yaoyao said there’s only one shop selling funeral supplies here. To keep up with the times, they’ve started a live stream. It’s too late now, so I’ll send you the link. You can check if there’s anything you want first and go buy it tomorrow morning.]

After reading Song Yan’s message, Si Wan hesitated for a moment, glancing at Sheng Zhen beside her before finally clicking into the live stream.

The streamer was a middle-aged man. Despite the sparse audience, he was enthusiastically introducing funeral supplies. Behind him stood several paper effigies, their faces stark white with two garish circles of rouge, stiff and eerie. Fortunately, the bright lighting in the room was dazzling, or the entire atmosphere would have felt overwhelmingly unsettling.

The man clearly lacked talent for live streaming, stumbling over his pre-memorized script several times even under the camera’s gaze.

Si Wan had no interest in listening to the stream. She muted the audio and opened the shopping cart, where the funeral supplies were clearly listed. She casually browsed a few burial garments but found the styles outdated and unsuitable for Sheng Zhen.

After nearly half an hour of browsing, Si Wan felt, for the first time, that picking clothes for a ghost was even harder than her own academic exams.

Just then, a hand gently smoothed the furrow on Si Wan’s brow. “What’s troubling you so much?” Sheng Zhen asked.

After a moment’s thought, Si Wan handed her phone to Sheng Zhen and said, “You should pick the clothes you want yourself.”

Sheng Zhen took the phone, puzzled, and looked at the screen. But she accidentally turned the volume back on, and the deep, resonant words “burial garments” immediately reached her ears.

Sheng Zhen stared silently at the person on the screen holding a brightly colored garment. After a long pause, she shoved the phone back into Si Wan’s hands, turned her head away with a cold snort, and said indignantly, “How dare you, Si Wan! You actually want this empress to wear burial garments? Have I spoiled you so much that you’ve grown this audacious?”

Si Wan rarely saw Sheng Zhen angry, and now that she did, she felt at a loss, instinctively wanting to placate her. “No, that’s not-”

Hearing Si Wan’s denial only fueled Sheng Zhen’s anger further. She cut her off before she could finish. “Then what is it I’m hearing now?”

The streamer in the live room continued passionately describing the burial garment, his voice echoing in the room, making the atmosphere between them particularly awkward.

Si Wan opened her mouth to speak but found herself at a loss for words. “Ghosts don’t wear-”

Once again, Sheng Zhen interrupted her, glaring this time before speaking. “This empress is of noble birth. You should be taking good care of me, not picking out these paper clothes I wouldn’t even deign to look at.”

Sheng Zhen’s words left Si Wan speechless. Realizing she was in the wrong, she lowered her head slightly, contemplating how to apologize.

The sound from the live stream still filled the room. Feeling awkward, Si Wan tried to close it but accidentally swiped to the next video. This was also a clothing live stream, but unlike the previous one, it wasn’t selling funeral supplies, it was selling Hanfu.

Just as Si Wan was about to turn off her phone, Sheng Zhen pointed at the clothes in the live stream. Her head remained tilted, her gaze fixed on the screen from the corner of her eye as she spoke.

“Although the craftsmanship of these clothes cannot compare to those of this palace, they are barely passable. Your taste…”

As she spoke, she bit her lip, turned her head, and stared at Si Wan, her words seeming to grind out between clenched teeth.

“How has your taste become so peculiar?”

Hearing this, Si Wan grew even more silent.

She didn’t dare tell Sheng Zhen that she had originally assumed ghosts wore burial shrouds.

Seeing that Sheng Zhen’s anger seemed to have subsided slightly, Si Wan lowered her eyes and spoke with a hint of apology.

“I’m sorry, I was wrong.”

Watching Si Wan sincerely apologize, Sheng Zhen’s anger dissipated by half once more.

Si Wan had already closed the live stream and opened a shopping app. She placed the phone back into Sheng Zhen’s hands, her tone earnest as she spoke.

“I’ll buy everything you want, alright? Please don’t be angry.”

Her coaxing words seemed etched deep in her memory, and seeing the other in such a state, she couldn’t help but let them slip out.

…