My Partner Always Wants to Dig My Grave - Chapter 3

A breeze carrying sweltering heat swept by, bringing air that was far from cool, yet it rustled the leaves and branches, adding an eerie touch to the dark, silent night.

The tattered red silk did not flutter in the wind, no matter how strong the gusts, not a single corner of the garment stirred, and even the loose, flowing hair seemed frozen in place, unmoving.

The dark red fabric lay sprawled on the ground like a pool of dried blood, its former opulence faintly discernible, yet exuding an unsettling aura.

The men standing on the foundation felt the wind around them grow slightly colder, unaware that a pair of chilling eyes now stared fixedly at them, as if watching a group of prey ripe for the taking, waiting for the moment to bare fangs and devour them.

The cold moonlight filtered through the clouds, casting a glimmer on the dewdrops adorning the flowers and leaves, making them sparkle. But in the blink of an eye, the moonlight dimmed, as if absorbed entirely by the red garment, turning it as crimson as blood, terrifying and dreadful.

“That’s strange. The moon was out just a moment ago. Why is it dark again now?”

With his flashlight suddenly failing, Liu Er’gou had hoped to use the moonlight to get a clearer look at the spear in his hand. But the abrupt plunge into darkness made his heart race. He raised his voice in complaint, trying to bolster his own courage.

After a while, no one responded to his words. A chilling breath brushed against his skin, turning the earlier swelter into an icy dread. A faint sound of breathing echoed in his ears, making him instinctively hold his breath. Trembling, he spoke up.

“Damn it! Stop messing with me!”

Still, no one answered Liu Er’gou. Fear spread instantly, and his body trembled uncontrollably. Shaking, he tried to flee, but his legs felt as if filled with lead, refusing to obey.

Suddenly, a rustling sound came from behind. Liu Er’gou jolted, and as if steeling himself, he tightened his grip on the object in his hand, spun around abruptly, and shouted.

“I-”

His words were cut short, swallowed back down. A flash of red caught his eye, and a smile curled on lips as pale as paper, a mix of enchantment and ghostly allure. One glance was mesmerizing; the next, sheer terror.

An icy wind brushed his face, and an invisible pressure, like chains of death, rendered him immobile.

A word lodged in his throat. The next moment, a red shadow flickered before his eyes. The sudden release from the oppressive force made Liu Er’gou let out a piercing, horrified scream.

“Ghost!!!”

He squeezed his already narrow eyes shut, as if that could erase the terrifying apparition from his mind. His mud-caked hands flailed wildly in front of him, and the object he held seemed weightless, waving menacingly along with his movements.

Clumps of dirt fell from the spear, and the returning moonlight cast a cold gleam on its sharp blade.

A pair of crimson eyes, filled with the contempt of a superior, radiated a heart-palpitating aura. The red lips parted, and a voice, light and distant as if from the edge of the sky, carried an undiminished sharpness.

“Your filthy hands are unworthy of touching her belongings!”

The words seemed whispered directly into his ear, each syllable accompanied by a putrid, foul-smelling breath. Overwhelmed with fear, he let out another blood-curdling shriek.

A searing, bone-deep pain suddenly shot through his hand, forcing him to release his grip. The object in his hand clattered to the ground, and the ghostly shadow vanished. Yet the eerie chill in the air grew colder, turning the midsummer heat into a biting cold, as if a blizzard had struck in June.

With his protective item gone, the man trembled uncontrollably, his body shaking like a sieve. He groped the ground, desperate to find another weapon, but every object he touched sent a jolt through him, making him recoil as if electrocuted.

Liu Er’gou was on the verge of a breakdown. Clutching his head, he muttered frantically to himself, “I won’t touch it, I won’t touch it… Please don’t kill me…”

A beam of light fell upon the man, whose face was smeared with dust. Several people frowned at the sight, and eventually, Liu Jin stepped forward and slapped Liu Er’gou on the back. “What the hell are you doing?!” he roared.

The angry shout jolted Liu Er’gou back to his senses. Trembling, he cautiously lifted his head. The harsh glare of the light stung his eyes, but the pain also helped him recognize the people standing before him.

In that moment, Liu Er’gou seemed to see a lifeline. He scrambled over like a dog, clinging tightly to Liu Jin’s leg, and wailed, “Old Jin, Brother Jin! I saw a ghost! She’s after my life!”

Liu Jin paid no attention to Liu Er’gou’s hysterical cries. He tried to shake off the man, who clung to him like sticky taffy, but his efforts only made Liu Er’gou grip tighter, smearing tears and snot all over his pants. Finally, Liu Jin gave a forceful kick, sending the man sprawling, and cursed in disgust, “You’re acting like you’re possessed by a ghost or something.”

The others, seeing how terrified Liu Er’gou was, nodded in agreement. “Yeah, we were calling you just now, but you didn’t seem to hear us at all.”

Seeing that Liu Jin and the others didn’t believe him, Liu Er’gou wailed even louder, his words becoming incoherent. “It’s true, there really is a ghost! You have to believe me! She was dressed in red, she must be a vengeful spirit!”

The group exchanged glances and burst into laughter, still unconvinced. “You’ve been watching too many horror movies.” they scoffed.

Then, they turned to Liu Yaoyao, who was crouched on the ground, sifting through the unearthed items with growing excitement. Smiling, they asked her, “So, are they valuable?”

Liu Yaoyao stared at the jade disc in her hand and shook her head. “I can’t tell.”

Hearing her response, disappointment flashed in their eyes, and they muttered under their breaths, “All that education was a waste.”

Liu Yaoyao overheard their remarks and paused her movements. She bit her lower lip lightly before speaking up earnestly, trying to dissuade them. “But you shouldn’t take these things. They’re burial goods from the tomb…”

Liu Jin waved his hand dismissively, cutting her off. “It’s just bad luck. Once we sell them for money, the bad luck won’t stick to us.”

Liu Yaoyao’s expression shifted, and just then, she heard Liu Fang calling down to her from above. “Since you, a young girl, don’t know anything about this stuff, come up quickly. Don’t get in the way down there. Oh, and bring your second uncle up with you. Let me see what’s wrong with him.”

The tone was blunt and commanding, a stark contrast to the warmth she had shown earlier.

Liu Yaoyao knew that reasoning with them now would be futile, but… She glanced at the unearthed items on the ground, clenched her teeth, and finally stepped in front of them, her voice firm as she spoke.

“If you take these things without permission, you could end up in jail.”

The men clearly didn’t believe her, laughing heartily a few times before Liu Jin spoke up.

“We may not have much education, but don’t try to fool us, girl.”

“Exactly. Even if these are relics from the dead, no one’s going to hold us accountable for taking a few things.”

Listening to their scattered accusations about how she was blocking their path to fortune, Liu Yaoyao frowned. Her hands, hanging at her sides, unconsciously tightened. She wanted nothing more than to walk away, but even though her studies hadn’t yet touched upon these matters, she knew very well what these objects represented.

Thinking this, she gritted her teeth and stopped them once more, her tone growing firmer and more resolute.

“I’m really not lying. If you don’t believe me, go check the books, it’s all written clearly.”

Hearing her tone, Liu Jin and the others hesitated slightly, no longer attempting to push past Liu Yaoyao to retrieve the items on the ground.

“Well, we…” Liu Jin began, but Liu Yaoyao, too tense, cut him off before he could finish.

“Uncles, don’t worry. Professor Si from our university is a leading expert in this field. You might not trust me, but I can ask her to come take a look. The police will surely arrive as well. As long as you cooperate, you won’t get into trouble.”

She wasn’t entirely misleading them, there was indeed such a legal provision. But most of these men were legally illiterate, and tonight, with only the few of them present, her interference might even cost her, her life.

Liu Yaoyao knew the temperament of the villagers all too well. Her immediate priority was to stabilize the situation and minimize damage to the unearthed artifacts.

Hearing her words, the others, who had been afraid of going to jail over this, breathed a sigh of relief. Only Liu Jin rolled his eyes, lost in thought.

“Alright then, why don’t you call that professor of yours first?”

As he spoke, he subtly exchanged glances with the others and discreetly kicked the already excavated items behind him.

Liu Yaoyao nodded. To dispel their suspicions, she steeled herself, took out her phone, and dialed a number.

The phone rang a few times before it was answered, and a cheerful voice came through.

“Yaoyao, I’m still busy.”

No one noticed the cold sweat on Liu Yaoyao’s forehead or how her grip on the phone tightened. She spoke, trying her best to keep her voice steady.

“Senior Song, is Professor Si with you?”

Liu Yaoyao had lied. She was only a freshman, and Si Wan wasn’t even her advisor yet.

It was only through her connection with Song Yan that she happened to know the professor. She had casually mentioned it during the holiday, and the villagers had twisted the story beyond recognition. Now, she had no choice but to claim the identity to stop them from disturbing the site.

Song Yan sensed something was off. No matter how hard Liu Yaoyao tried to hide it, she detected a hint of distress in her voice and asked, “Professor Si just went to rest. Did something happen? Are you sick?”

Hearing the concern in her voice, Liu Yaoyao felt slightly reassured. Seeing the men staring at her sent a chill down her spine. Steadying her voice, she replied, “It seems like someone dug up an ancient tomb near my home. I’d like Professor Si to come take a look.”

Hearing it was a serious matter, Song Yan’s voice lowered as she said, “Take a few photos first and send them over. I’ll show them to Professor Si right now.”

“Okay.” Liu Yaoyao responded.

After hanging up, Liu Yaoyao took several photos and sent them, including one of the unearthed stone tablet.

“How did it go?” Liu Jin asked from the side.

They had only heard Liu Yaoyao’s responses and couldn’t guess the content of the conversation.

Pursing her lips, Liu Yaoyao decided to mix truth with falsehood to keep them calm. “They’ll be here in a couple of days. The police will come first to seal off the area.”

She spoke vaguely but with firmness.

Mention of the police shifted the others’ expressions, but Liu Jin, being a sly old hand, remained skeptical and chuckled, “Do the police even handle this kind of thing?”

Liu Yaoyao nodded. “Since these belong to the state, the police will definitely get involved.”

She paused to think, then added, “If someone takes and hides these items, it counts as theft and destruction of cultural relics. The penalties are severe, it’s not just a simple jail sentence. It could even lead to…” She hesitated, searching for words, but to avoid raising Liu Jin’s suspicions, she hurriedly concluded, “Execution by firing squad. Yes, that’s right, execution!”

At the mention of execution, Liu Jin’s doubtful expression shifted slightly, and he laughed, “Is that true? Just for a few items like these?”

Though he acted unafraid, his gaze toward the objects on the ground clearly held hesitation.

Liu Yaoyao knew Liu Jin held the most authority among them. Seeing that she was close to persuading him, she remained vigilant and spoke seriously, “Yes, so it’s better not to touch these things.”

Just then, her phone vibrated. She glanced at the message, it was from Song Yan, who, after seeing the photos, had noticed the menacing figures in the background and immediately warned her to be careful.

Without time to reply, Liu Yaoyao kept her eyes fixed on the group and suggested, “Uncles, Second Uncle seems to be in a bad state. Shouldn’t we take him to the hospital first?”

Reminded by her, they noticed Liu Er’gou, who had been kicked aside, was now foaming at the mouth with his eyes rolled back.

Seeing this, Liu Fang screamed at the others, “Hurry! Pull him out! He’s going to die! That damn fool, pulling this stunt on me!”

Only then did they recall Liu Er’gou’s dire condition and, not daring to delay any longer, hauled him out of the foundation pit within minutes. As they prepared to carry him to the hospital, they remembered Liu Yaoyao below.

Liu Jin glanced reluctantly at the items below and said to her, “Little sister, you’ve got to keep an eye on these treasures for us.”

As he spoke, he guiltily tucked a few items he’d pocketed deeper into his clothes, using his words to divert her attention.

Tense, Liu Yaoyao snapped back to reality and didn’t notice Liu Jin’s sleight of hand. “Don’t worry, I will.” she replied.

After watching them leave, Liu Yaoyao finally relaxed, called the police to report the location, and was about to reply to Song Yan’s message when a chilling breeze swept past. Her hand trembled, making her drop the phone. Assuming it was just nerves, she paid it no mind.

But she had only typed a few words when a voice sounded beside her ear, cool in tone, yet pleasant to hear.

“What is Professor Si’s name?”

The speaker seemed unfamiliar with the title, stumbling over the words.

Liu Yaoyao didn’t look up, so she didn’t notice if anyone was nearby, but she instinctively answered the question anyway.

“Si Wan, Professor Si.”

As soon as she finished speaking, her hand paused. She abruptly lifted her head and, using the flashlight’s beam, scanned the empty surroundings. A shiver ran down her spine.

“Who’s there?” Liu Yaoyao hesitantly called out.

But the only response was the chill wind.

Although Si Wan hadn’t been struck by lightning two days ago, she had fainted. After being taken to the hospital, she quickly regained consciousness, but the staff, fearing complications, insisted she rest and recuperate.

In the stark white hospital room, the beeping of various machines made the person on the bed frown. She turned her head toward the darkness outside, her expression indifferent, lost in thought.

Just then, a knock on the door pulled Si Wan back to reality.

“Come in.”

Before her words fully faded, the door swung open hastily. It was Song Yan who entered.

Si Wan narrowed her eyes slightly as she looked at her. Song Yan was her most composed student, a quality Si Wan appreciated. Since she started mentoring Song Yan, she had never seen her so flustered.

“What’s wrong?” Si Wan asked proactively.

Song Yan gave an apologetic nod and quickly handed her phone over, explaining, “Professor Si, Yaoyao says they might have uncovered an ancient tomb while digging the foundation near her home.”

…