My Partner Always Wants to Dig My Grave - Chapter 5

Under the pitch-black night sky, the air remained stiflingly hot, with the occasional breeze offering only a negligible relief. Strangely, the summer cicadas were silent today, as if hiding from something terrifying, making the rustling of grass and leaves in the wind all the more pronounced.

Shovelfuls of dirt were tossed aside, accompanied by ragged breaths, hollow and numb. The uncontrollable trembling of his hands betrayed his terror. The stars in the sky were sparse, and the moonlight struggled to breathe beneath the suffocating dark clouds, plunging everything into a darkness that made it impossible to discern the identity of the person wielding the shovel.

Even more peculiar was the fact that the area was supposed to be guarded by the police, yet it was as if they had all fallen asleep, silent and unmoving, with no one stopping the person inside from continuing to dig.

Standing nearby was a woman dressed in red, her long hair cascading down her back. Her exposed skin was pale and ghastly, unlike that of a living person, yet her every movement exuded an elegant nobility that made one want to kneel at her feet.

A flicker of impatience flashed in the red-clad woman’s eyes, and her burgeoning malevolence made the already silent surroundings even more hushed, as if not a single sound dared to emerge. Even the digging man grew more fearful, treading as if on thin ice.

“Wait.”

The woman slightly raised her eyes, her crimson pupils glinting with a hint of delight. It was unclear what she had seen, but it made her condescend to bend slightly, squinting her eyes as if trying to see more clearly in the darkness.

“It’s it.”

Her expression was one of sheer joy, as if she had found a beloved object, and the eerie aura around her diminished slightly.

Hearing the woman’s words, the man visibly shuddered, his outstretched hand trembling uncontrollably, as if afflicted by Parkinson’s.

“Stop.”

The woman glanced at him with displeasure, her tone dripping with disdain.

“Don’t touch it with your filthy hands.”

Even though the object had been buried underground for who knows how many years and was covered in mud, the woman still forbade anyone else from touching it, a clear indication of its importance to her.

The man nodded woodenly, then rummaged through his pockets until he finally found a relatively clean tissue.

Even this failed to satisfy the woman. She cast a cold, piercing glare at him, but with no other options, she finally spoke in an icy tone.

“Take it.”

Upon hearing the command, the man felt a chill run down his spine. Trembling, he carefully wrapped the object in the tissue.

Though caked in mud, the object still felt slender to the touch.

The night passed slowly, so slowly that even the ghostly woman, who had long lost track of time, let out a faint sigh.

By the time the trees on the mountain were tinged with warm yellow, the rising sun had replaced the setting moon. The village came to life with the curling smoke of morning cooking, and the crowing of roosters rang out like a punctual clock.

Liu Village was remote, located over a hundred kilometers from S City. To get there as quickly as possible, Si Wan’s team contacted the local police and flew to W City, then took a train to the nearest town, and finally boarded the only bus to the village.

The bus driver, Liu Ji, was a local. For decades, the passengers had always been the same familiar faces, but today was the first time he had seen so many strangers.

The muddy, bumpy road jolted the decades-old bus violently, as if trying to shake loose everything the passengers had eaten that morning.

Several students on their first trip out had been excited from the moment they boarded the plane, but after arriving in the town and getting on the bus, they grew somewhat listless and dispirited, their faces visibly pale.

The road ahead was relatively straight compared to the winding paths they had traveled earlier, but its bumpy, pothole-ridden surface made the ride even more jarring. Those already exhausted grew even paler.

Liu Ji was a chatterbox, even with strangers, he could strike up a conversation.

Through the rearview mirror, he caught sight of Si Wan sitting up front. Her eyes, behind gold-rimmed glasses, were lowered as if she were resting with them closed.

Compared to the others, Si Wan, with her intellectual appearance, clearly stood out as their leader. So, Liu Ji smiled and addressed her.

“You look like a teacher. That’s great.”

“In the past, many volunteer teachers came to our village, but they were just here to polish their resumes. They never really intended to teach the village children and ran off after a few months.”

Listening to Liu Ji’s complaints, Si Wan slowly raised her eyes. The glare on her lenses masked a hint of coldness. After a brief glance at Liu Ji, she said nothing and turned to look out the window.

Endless rolling mountains stretched green as far as the eye could see. Birds swept past, then vanished into the dense foliage.

Afraid that Liu Ji might say something else inappropriate, Song Yan spoke up.

“Our professor is indeed a teacher, but we’re not volunteer teachers going to the village…”

Before she could finish, Liu Ji interrupted with a laugh.

“I get it, I get it. I know… who’d want to come to a poor, remote place like ours? Everyone’s drawn to the city.”

His last words carried a touch of sarcasm.

A few others who still had energy forced awkward laughs but didn’t know how to respond to the driver.

“Looking at you all, what exactly are you going to do in our village?” Seeing how quiet and unresponsive they were, Liu Ji pursed his lips and changed the subject.

As he spoke, he studied Si Wan in the rearview mirror but was caught red-handed when she turned her gaze toward him. For some reason, meeting those sharp eyes made him flinch and look away guiltily.

Song Yan smiled gently and replied vaguely, “It’s like this, we’re here for work.”

“What kind of work? So mysterious, and with so many young women.”

Liu Ji glanced meaningfully toward the back. Realizing his implication, Song Yan’s expression shifted, but others who overheard couldn’t hold back and blurted out defensively,

“Archaeology! We’re here for archaeology. We work for the state!”

Young and spirited, they couldn’t stand anyone disparaging their field. Despite feeling unwell earlier, they now grew excited, eager to explain themselves to the driver.

Hearing this, Liu Ji looked at their animated faces and chuckled, “I don’t know anything about that stuff. That’s for you educated folks.”

Realizing any further explanation would be like casting pearls before swine, the words they were about to say stuck in their throats. In the end, they could only sit back helplessly.

Seeing this, Liu Ji opened his mouth to say more, but Si Wan shot him a glance that sent a chill down his spine. He only heard her speak calmly,

“Is there anything else you need?”

Liu Ji’s words caught in his throat, and he coughed a few times. Faced with Si Wan’s icy demeanor, he finally dropped the subject.

Muttering under his breath, he said, “Pretty face, but such a bad temper. She’ll have a hard time finding a husband.” Even so, he couldn’t help stealing another glance at her.

Perhaps because he usually spoke loudly, those nearby still managed to hear what the driver said.

“Professor…” Song Yan frowned, feeling somewhat concerned. After all, this desolate mountain area had only this bus available.

Si Wan met the other’s gaze without a trace of fear, her tone flat and devoid of any extra emotion as she spoke.

“I’m truly troubled that my own affairs have made you worry so much on my behalf.”

On its own, the statement was harmless, but paired with Si Wan’s tone, it carried a hint of sarcasm, implying the other was meddling and gossipy.

Liu Ji, being a rough and straightforward man, didn’t catch the sarcasm in Si Wan’s words and instead felt rather pleased with himself.

“Well, that’s true, isn’t it?”

Si Wan paid him no further attention and turned to look out the window, her gaze distant and unfocused.

“Hey.”

Liu Ji called out several times, but no one seemed inclined to respond.

“You young folks are so sensitive, just a few words and you’re already upset. I was hoping you educated types could tell me if the treasures dug up from underground are worth anything.”

Hearing this, Si Wan finally shifted her gaze slightly and glanced at Song Yan.

Understanding Si Wan’s meaning, Song Yan smiled and said,

“Didn’t they all get handed over to the police?”

Liu Ji didn’t question how they knew but replied with a hint of pride,

“Ah, yeah, the police took most of them, but they don’t know exactly how many there were. So, I managed to keep a few. Liu Er’gou owed me money, so he gave them to me as payment.”

He then complained,

“But things are tight right now, so I can’t easily sell them.”

“Hey, can you help me take a look or not? If you can, just say so.”

The group exchanged glances, but no one felt comfortable speaking up.

“I can,” Si Wan said, pushing her glasses up. “If they’re undamaged, they’re very valuable, enough to ensure you never have to worry about food or clothing for the rest of your life.”

Still oblivious, Liu Ji was overjoyed at her words, grinning from ear to ear as he began fantasizing about a life of wealth and luxury.

“That’s great! I hid them at the bottom of the pit in the outhouse, otherwise, they would’ve been found long ago.”

“You hid them quite well.” Si Wan remarked calmly.

Hearing him reveal the exact hiding spot, Song Yan quietly memorized it and sent a message to Liu Yaoyao.

Just then, a hand rested on the back of her seat, causing Song Yan to turn around.

“Senior… I think I’m going to be sick.”

The person sitting behind Song Yan was barely holding on, leaning weakly against the window as they spoke.

Having spent years accompanying Si Wan, Song Yan was accustomed to enduring harsh conditions outdoors. It didn’t bother her much, but it was tough on the younger students who hadn’t experienced it before.

“This…”

Song Yan hesitated, then asked the driver for a plastic bag and handed it to the person, saying,

“Hold on a little longer. We’re almost there.”

“We’ve still got half an hour to go. Don’t you dare throw up in my bus, cleaning that up is a real pain.”

“Even when we get there, you’ll still have to walk a stretch.”

Hearing this, the person’s face visibly paled further.

By the time the group had trekked through mountains and rivers and finally arrived at Liu Village, Liu Yaoyao was already waiting at the entrance, along with local police officers.

Si Wan glanced at the people who had followed and sighed slightly before saying,

“Let them rest. You take Song Yan and me to have a look first.”

Liu Yaoyao took Song Yan’s backpack and was about to ask if she was tired when, hearing Si Wan’s words, she nodded nervously and replied,

“Okay, okay.”

The first time Liu Yaoyao saw Si Wan up close, despite the long journey, the weariness in her eyes couldn’t conceal her cool, elegant features. Though there was little emotion in Si Wan’s gaze, it still made Liu Yaoyao somewhat nervous.

Song Yan patted the back of Liu Yaoyao’s hand and comforted her with a light laugh.
“Don’t worry, Professor Si has always been like this.”

Liu Yaoyao stole another glance at Si Wan, then shook her head at Song Yan.
“No, I’m just a bit excited.”

“Lead the way.” Si Wan reminded them when she saw they weren’t moving.

Liu Yaoyao nodded and finally led the group forward.

“Professor Si, rest assured, I sent people to keep watch there yesterday.” Nian Nian said politely with a smile.

Si Wan nodded and replied courteously,
“Thank you for your trouble.”

But as they approached, they noticed that one side of the surrounding police tape had clearly been torn down.

Seeing the officers on duty lying unconscious on the ground, Nian Nian’s expression immediately changed. She hurried over to check one of them for a pulse.

The officer stirred at the sensation and slowly woke up. Recognizing Nian Nian, he quickly spoke.
“Captain.”

“What happened?” Nian Nian asked sternly.

Her gaze subtly swept the surroundings, pausing briefly when it landed on the foundation pit below.

There was someone down there.

Si Wan and the others saw it too. Liu Yaoyao, spotting the familiar figure, immediately frowned and called out, “Second Uncle, what are you doing down there?”

“He’s your second uncle?” Si Wan frowned.

Liu Yaoyao bit her lip and replied, “Yes, but I don’t know how he managed to knock out the police officers.”

Si Wan shook her head slightly, her eyes fixed on the pit below, and stated firmly, “It wasn’t him.”

Given Liu Er’gou’s frail appearance, it would be difficult for him alone to quietly take down so many officers.

Nian Nian could see that too, but the fact that only Liu Er’gou was inside made her and Si Wan frown even more deeply. They felt a vague concern about what might be inside.

“Take him away first. I’ll go down and check.” Si Wan ordered.

Without waiting for the others to react, Si Wan jumped down into the pit. Fortunately, the foundation wasn’t too deep, just over a meter.

Once she landed, for some reason, Si Wan walked directly toward a half-buried tombstone.

She crouched down, brushed away the mud on its surface, and two characters came into view:

[Si Wan]

Seeing these two words, Si Wan fell silent for a moment. Then, a chilling wind swept past, sending a shiver down her spine.

…