My Partner Always Wants to Dig My Grave - Chapter 32

As Si Wan’s voice faded, a chilling wind from nowhere sent shivers down one’s spine. The room abruptly darkened amid the howling gusts, and a flicker of crimson robes drifted by, heightening the eerie and sinister atmosphere.

Yet, the sky had already begun to glow with the faint light of dawn, spilling through the windowpanes. Even without the lamps, the room was not entirely plunged into darkness.

Reflected in the depths of Si Wan’s pupils was the figure of that person, as if everything behind her had become a mere backdrop, all seemingly arranged to accentuate her breathtaking allure.

In the moment Si Wan was lost in thought, a cold hand gently cupped her chin. Long, elegant fingers brushed against her skin with deliberate ambiguity, carrying a hint of suggestive tenderness.

“Si Wan.”

Sheng Zhen softly called out to the person before her, her lowered gaze carefully scrutinizing the other, as if trying to see something beyond Si Wan’s face.

Her voice, clear and melodious like the strings of a zither, pierced through the sharp whistling of the wind and reached Si Wan’s ears, compelling her to unconsciously lift her gaze and meet Sheng Zhen’s eyes.

The faint light fell upon Sheng Zhen, illuminating every strand of her cascading hair as if gilded, brushing against Si Wan’s shoulders and neck, stirring a faint, tingling sensation.

From her lowered vantage point, Si Wan saw not a terrifying, sinister female ghost, but rather a deity who had awoken from a thousand-year slumber just for her, gazing down with eyes that seemed to hold a universe of unspoken words.

Seeing that Si Wan did not respond, Sheng Zhen’s eyelashes trembled slightly. Flecks of light danced in the depths of her pupils, and the glimmer of moisture in her eyes sent a wave of panic through the dazed Si Wan. As Sheng Zhen spoke, every word carried an accusation.

“Si Wan, you know, you slept through the entire night.”

Si Wan had slept through the night, and naturally, Sheng Zhen had spent the entire night earnestly deliberating over Si Wan’s words.

Realizing this, an inexplicable pang of guilt washed over Si Wan. With a tone of apology, she spoke.

“I’m sorry.”

As she said this, she hastily grabbed a tissue from nearby, intending to wipe away the tears threatening to fall from the other’s eyes.

But though she touched Sheng Zhen, she found herself unable to wipe away the tears at the corners of her eyes, as if Sheng Zhen’s joys and sorrows were beyond her reach.

Noticing Si Wan’s stiff movements, Sheng Zhen seemed to recall something, her expression shifting slightly as she leaned closer to Si Wan.

The sudden proximity blurred the image of the other in Si Wan’s pupils, leaving only the chill of Sheng Zhen’s presence enveloping her.

The almost intimate posture between them made Si Wan’s grip on the tissue tighten.

In a daze, fragmented, unfamiliar memories flashed through Si Wan’s mind. Pieced together, she saw a sky filled with red silk, the deafening sound of gongs, and guests arriving in droves.

She looked down to find herself no longer holding a tissue but one end of a red silk ribbon. As she bent slightly, she glanced sideways at the other end of the ribbon, where a pale, slender hand clad in red robes held it firmly.

A sudden, sharp pain interrupted the unfamiliar memories flashing through Si Wan’s mind. In that fleeting moment, she caught a glimpse of crimson lips curling into a faint smile beneath a bright red bridal veil.

Si Wan opened her eyes, her peripheral vision catching the white jade hairpin that had been placed by her bedside at some point. Its faint, glowing radiance seemed to illuminate the vision she had just witnessed.

Once again, the vivid image of that brilliant red silk flashed through her mind. The thought of Sheng Zhen’s wedding made her heart feel as if it were being tightly clenched, so painful she could hardly breathe.

“What are you spacing out about again?”

Sheng Zhen murmured softly, the glistening tears in her eyes now completely gone. She frowned slightly, her fingertip idly poking at Si Wan’s chest as she spoke with curiosity.

“Does Si Wan truly have no money?”

Facing Sheng Zhen’s question, Si Wan pondered for a moment and decided not to deceive her.

“Mhm.”

Watching Si Wan nod, Sheng Zhen stopped her poking, though her fingertip remained resting on Si Wan’s chest.

Sheng Zhen probably understood that Si Wan wouldn’t start lying now, falling into prolonged thought before tentatively speaking again.

“Are you truly not intentionally refusing to buy this princess new clothes?”

Seeing Sheng Zhen’s aggrieved expression, Si Wan felt even more guilty and spoke up.

“The Eldest Princess’s taste is naturally excellent, it’s just…”

Si Wan’s voice trailed off as her gaze flickered once more to the price tag beneath the clothing image on her phone screen before she slowly continued.

“It’s just that this is a bit too expensive.”

Hearing how Si Wan addressed her, Sheng Zhen felt uncharacteristically dazed. The face before her seemed to overlap with that of someone from the past, who had called her “Your Highness the Eldest Princess” with neither arrogance nor humility in every word.

The unfamiliar distance and deference, so different from before, made Sheng Zhen think of something, a trace of loneliness flashing through her eyes before she quickly returned to normal.

But Si Wan was already standing so close to Sheng Zhen that she couldn’t miss the emotion in the other’s eyes.

The conjectures from her dreams contradicted everything she had learned, making them untenable in her eyes. So, she now clearly understood exactly who Sheng Zhen missed every moment.

Before Si Wan could react, Sheng Zhen had already turned her back to her.

For some reason, seeing Sheng Zhen’s movements, Si Wan instinctively knew the other was sulking. The disappointment in her heart was replaced by an inexplicable sense of helplessness.

Just as Si Wan began wondering if Sheng Zhen felt wronged staying with her, Sheng Zhen spoke softly.

“You should have told this princess if you had no money.”

Before Si Wan could process this, she saw Sheng Zhen, still facing away, searching for something on her person.

Then a hand reached backward, holding a gold ingot of unknown origin that took up half the palm.

The warm sunlight made the gold ingot almost dazzling to behold. Si Wan stared blankly for a moment before hearing that nearly tsundere voice say:

“Although this princess didn’t bring much with me, if it’s not enough, I can go back and get more for you.”

While what Sheng Zhen produced was certainly valuable, Si Wan could tell from her tone that these were items from Sheng Zhen’s tomb.

To confirm, Si Wan didn’t immediately take the object, instead asking:

“Did you take this from the tomb?”

Sheng Zhen showed no suspicion, nodding before speaking with a touch of pride.

“This princess possesses abundant wealth…”

She paused mid-sentence, as if remembering Si Wan’s current financial situation, and cautiously glanced back at Si Wan from the corner of her eye. Only when she saw Si Wan didn’t seem to mind did she relax.

The joint mausoleum of the Eldest Princess and the General would naturally contain no shortage of gold, silver, and jewels. Even in death, Sheng Zhen maintained the same standard of living she had enjoyed.

Before Si Wan could speak, Sheng Zhen thought again and hesitantly spoke up, her voice unusually carrying a hint of apology.

“I don’t know what you’ve been through, but even if you’re not doing well now, I’ll take care of you.”

By the end of her sentence, she sounded as if she had made some firm resolution.

Si Wan: “…”

Sheng Zhen’s demeanor gave off the impression that she intended to “sponsor” Si Wan, which unconsciously evoked a subtle trace of helplessness and affection in Si Wan that she herself hadn’t even noticed.

Compared to the delicate and refined Sheng Zhen, Si Wan found it impossible to explain that she wasn’t actually struggling.

In the end, Si Wan didn’t defend herself. Instead, her gaze fell once again on Sheng Zhen’s hand.

This ingot of gold was remarkably well-preserved compared to the burial gold and silver artifacts unearthed nowadays, it looked as if it had just been freshly minted. Its flawless condition was enough to cause a stir across the entire industry.

Seeing that Si Wan hadn’t taken the item from her hand for a long time, Sheng Zhen glanced sideways at her and noticed Si Wan rummaging for something.

Just as Sheng Zhen turned her head in confusion, Si Wan had already found her gloves, put them on, and solemnly accepted the gold from her hand. She handled it with extreme care, as if holding a bomb, and murmured to herself,

“This needs to be handled carefully.”

“Si Wan.”

Sheng Zhen’s voice carried a hint of anger as she glared coldly at Si Wan, her pointing finger trembling slightly.

“How could you…”

Her upbringing left her at a loss for an appropriate word for a long moment, and she finally let out a cold snort.

Unaware of Si Wan’s professional habits, Sheng Zhen interpreted Si Wan’s actions as disdain, which made her feel instantly wronged.

Sheng Zhen’s sudden anger caused Si Wan to pause abruptly. She looked over in confusion, seemingly unable to understand why Sheng Zhen was upset.

Sheng Zhen was so furious that it felt as if her internal organs were aching. Yet, even without knowing the reason, Si Wan instinctively apologized out of habit.

“I’m sorry.”

Si Wan’s habitual apology cooled half of Sheng Zhen’s anger, but she still felt indignant and snapped,

“I don’t want to give you my money anymore.”

Hearing this, Si Wan didn’t have time to ponder why she had apologized instinctively. She frowned slightly, a flicker of reluctance in her eyes, but still handed the item back to Sheng Zhen.

Sheng Zhen stared at Si Wan’s hand for a long moment, then grabbed it abruptly, gritting her teeth as she spoke.

“You actually despise me so much.”

The overly pale face before her seemed to gain a touch of vitality from the anger.

After Sheng Zhen finished speaking, Si Wan was momentarily stunned. The sensation on her wrist brought her back to reality.

“That’s not it.”

Seeing that Sheng Zhen’s anger hadn’t subsided, Si Wan thought for a moment before explaining,

“All of your belongings are equivalent to cultural relics. I can’t handle them carelessly.”

Hearing Si Wan’s explanation, Sheng Zhen’s indignation softened slightly.

Si Wan sighed, took off one of her gloves, and reached out to pat Sheng Zhen’s head, speaking patiently,

“I’m afraid of ghosts. If I despised you, wouldn’t I have bought three sticks of incense the next day you appeared by my side to send you away?”

Knowing she was in the wrong, Sheng Zhen allowed Si Wan to pat her head. She quickly concealed the emotions in her eyes but still lifted her chin slightly, maintaining her dignified demeanor. Ignoring the latter part of Si Wan’s words, she changed the subject.

“What cultural relics? That’s my money for buying new clothes.”

Seeing Sheng Zhen’s expression, Si Wan also felt that she must genuinely like that outfit. After a moment of thought, she smiled and said,

“Alright, I’ll buy it for you.”

Hearing this, Sheng Zhen’s mood immediately lifted, and she pushed the gold back toward Si Wan, laughing as she said,

“Cultural relics or whatnot don’t matter, I’ve never been short of such things.”

Sheng Zhen had intended to urge Si Wan to place the order, but upon hearing her words, Si Wan slightly furrowed her brows and earnestly began to explain to Sheng Zhen,

“Cultural relics are extremely precious. And if nothing goes wrong, your corpse would be precious too.”

Sheng Zhen: “…”

Frowning, Sheng Zhen lost all interest in urging Si Wan to place the order. Her pale, delicate hands twisted the fabric of her dress as she looked at Si Wan’s serious expression with a strange gaze. She spoke with some difficulty,

“You people… are you really that short of… these things? Not even sparing the dead…”

Sheng Zhen wanted to say “unscrupulous,” but remembering that Si Wan was only doing this because she was short on money, she chose her words more tactfully.

Si Wan didn’t notice the odd look in Sheng Zhen’s eyes. When it came to her area of expertise, she could always speak with enthusiasm.

“Excavating tombs helps us reconstruct history.”

Watching the spirited Si Wan before her, Sheng Zhen hesitated for a long time before finally managing to convince herself. She reluctantly relaxed her furrowed brows, sighed, and said,

“Good thing I prepared plenty of things for you.”

…