My Partner Always Wants to Dig My Grave - Chapter 7

The first rays of morning sunlight fell upon the lush, leafy branches. The cicadas that had been chirping all night showed no signs of stopping, their chorus mingling with the rooster’s first crow. Warm, golden light gradually filtered through the gaps in the leaves and the transparent glass window, casting dappled shadows on the floor.

The glaring light eventually crept onto the face of the person lying in bed, causing discomfort. She furrowed her brows, let out a soft groan, and turned over, seemingly unaware of her surroundings, only feeling that the air conditioning was set too cold today.

Her usually indifferent and cool features softened at this moment, making her even more captivating than usual, entrancing the ghost watching by her side.

Si Wan’s internal clock kicked in right on time. Despite still feeling deeply drowsy, she opened her eyes.

With groggy confusion and blurred vision, Si Wan noticed something strange in front of her. She raised a hand to rub her eyes, and her vision gradually sharpened.

The next moment, she clearly saw the extra presence before her, and her breath hitched.

But the female ghost, who had kept watch all night, seemed to have anticipated Si Wan’s reaction. A mischievous glint flashed in her eyes as she deliberately made a face no ordinary human could mimic.

Si Wan: “…”

She turned her head and reached for the gold-rimmed glasses on the nightstand. But by the time she found them, wiped the non-prescription lenses repeatedly, and put them on, the disheveled, ghostly face had drawn even closer.

The female ghost spoke, her voice drifting over eerily.

“What are you looking for? Me?”

The ghost was so close that Si Wan could see her own face reflected in the ghost’s crimson, smiling eyes. With every word the ghost uttered, a damp, chilly breath brushed against Si Wan’s skin, sending shivers down her spine.

“Mm.” For some reason, Si Wan found herself uncontrollably responding.

The moment she realized what she had done, her pupils contracted sharply. A gasp caught in her throat, and she broke into a violent coughing fit. The corners of her eyes flushed red, and a faint glimmer of moisture made her appear even more coldly enchanting.

Si Wan’s hand, still gripping the temple of her glasses, hadn’t yet lowered. Unconsciously, she tightened her grip. Before she could even react, her face remaining eerily calm, she snapped the temple of the glasses in two. She didn’t notice the fleeting concern that flashed in the ghost’s eyes.

A pale hand lifted, icy cold, and just as it was about to touch Si Wan, the ghost seemed to remember something. She looked up at Si Wan, who was now too terrified to speak.

The sunlight outside penetrated the ghost’s body, yet not a trace of warmth lingered on her form, making the sight unsettlingly dazzling.

Seeing this, Si Wan’s face instantly turned pale. But her body refused to obey her, frozen in place. She could only shut her eyes and silently pray that this was just a dream or a hallucination.

After what felt like an eternity, while Si Wan was still hesitating whether to open her eyes, a sudden knock on the door startled her already frayed nerves. She shuddered violently and instinctively called out.

“Who is it?”

Even she didn’t realize her voice was trembling.

At that moment, Si Wan mustered the courage to open her eyes. The space before her was clear, there was nothing there.

Relieved, Si Wan let out the breath she’d been holding when she heard Song Yan’s voice from outside the door.

“Professor Si, come down for breakfast.”

Just as Si Wan turned her head to respond, a flash of vibrant red suddenly filled her vision, the same clothing the ghost had been wearing earlier.

There was no wind in the room, yet the hem of the skirt swayed on its own, drawing Si Wan’s gaze upward. Suddenly, she met the ghostly woman’s eerie smile.

A rope had inexplicably appeared on the beam, suspending the female ghost like a hanged spirit. Her face was pale and bloodless, her long hair hanging down just above Si Wan’s head, sending chills down her spine.

The words Si Wan was about to speak caught in her throat. Her expression grew increasingly grave. Though her heart pounded fiercely with fear, her face remained impassive and detached. Yet, her unconsciously clenched fists betrayed her completely.

She knew closing her eyes would be useless, she feared that if she shut them again, the ghost might come dangerously close. So, she forced her gaze downward, finally settling on the fluttering edge of the garment.

Frowning, she tried to distract herself by focusing on the fabric. Her professional instincts kicked in, and she picked up a pen and paper nearby, jotting down notes.

She wrote quickly, her strokes somewhat cursive, but the content was still legible.

Si Wan recorded the material of the ghost’s clothing and the intricate gold and silver embroidery patterns, concluding that this must be a noblewoman in life.

Just as Si Wan had managed to divert her attention, Song Yan, who had been waiting outside without a response, knocked politely on the door again and said, “Professor Si, are you coming down now?”

Hearing this, Si Wan’s hand abruptly paused. Without looking up, she called out to the door, “Come in for a moment.”

Song Yan was puzzled but complied, pushing the door open and stepping inside. She saw Si Wan sitting on the bed, her hair slightly disheveled, writing something with a serious expression. Song Yan couldn’t help but marvel at Si Wan’s dedication to work.

“Professor Si, is something wrong?” Song Yan asked curiously.

Si Wan looked at Song Yan, but a flash of red in her peripheral vision seemed to demand attention, adding a layer of severity to her gaze. Song Yan instinctively straightened her posture, then heard Si Wan’s hesitant voice.

“Have you noticed anything unusual in this room?”

“Huh?”

Song Yan was about to shake her head but, seeing Si Wan’s earnest expression, sensed the gravity of the situation. Though confused, she scanned the room carefully.

The room was small but tidy, with only the slightly messy bedding from Si Wan’s sleep showing any sign of disturbance. Otherwise, nothing seemed amiss.

Finally, under Si Wan’s expectant gaze, Song Yan shook her head and frowned. “Professor Si, are you feeling unwell?”

From the moment she entered, Si Wan had remained motionless on the bed, her eyes fixed on one spot as if shifting her gaze even slightly would reveal something terrifying.

From Song Yan’s reaction, Si Wan deduced that only she could see the female ghost.

Forcing herself to stay calm, Si Wan gritted her teeth and slowly lifted her gaze upward.

The ghost was no longer hanging to scare her. Instead, she sat on the rope as if it were a swing, swaying gently. The crimson hem of her dress fluttered with the motion. If not for her deathly pale skin, she might have resembled a carefree young maiden.

For some reason, this thought crossed Si Wan’s mind, and she found herself momentarily mesmerized by the ghost’s smile.

Si Wan naturally had a cold, aloof demeanor, and at this moment, with her head tilted back to catch a glimpse of the female ghost, she appeared to others as if she were lost in thought.

The female ghost let out a light laugh, not as deliberately eerie as before, but rather like the delicate chime of a silver bell, evoking a sense of intrigue.

Si Wan saw the female ghost part her lips, the crimson lipstick still strikingly vibrant even after a thousand years, adding a touch of radiance to her pale face.

“Si Wan, stop staring.”

“No.”

Si Wan instinctively refused, her gaze still fixed intently on the ghost. As their eyes met, an indescribable feeling lingered between them.

“What do you mean, ‘no’?! Professor Si, are you okay?!”

Seeing Si Wan’s current state, Song Yan immediately panicked, waving her hand in front of Si Wan’s face. But when she heard Si Wan’s inexplicable words, her anxiety only grew, and she turned to leave and seek help.

“Wait a moment.”

At Si Wan’s words, Song Yan paused mid-step and turned back, only to see Si Wan rubbing her temples with a pained expression.

“Professor Si, are you running a fever? Let me go get some medicine for you.”

Si Wan shook her head and said, “I don’t have a fever.”

As she spoke, noticing Song Yan’s lingering concern, she glanced once more at the female ghost, who had now moved to her side, and hesitantly added, “I saw something…”

She paused, then, under Song Yan’s worried gaze, reluctantly continued, “Something unclean.”

The female ghost: “…”

Before Song Yan could process Si Wan’s words, she heard Si Wan sigh and say to her, “You should go out first.”

Just then, Liu Yaoyao, who had been waiting impatiently downstairs, poked her head through the doorway and cautiously asked, “I noticed you hadn’t come down for breakfast, so I thought I’d check on you.”

Song Yan walked to the door and said, “Let’s go down first. Professor Si just woke up and hasn’t washed up yet.”

With that, she pulled Liu Yaoyao away. As she glanced back into the room one last time, she didn’t hear the female ghost’s nearly frantic cries.

“Si Wan! Before my burial, I was bathed and perfumed with incense! I am not something unclean!”

The female ghost was clearly upset by Si Wan’s earlier remark, pacing around her in circles. But her form was ethereal, and her footsteps made no sound as they touched the ground.

By then, Si Wan had already gotten out of bed and was crouching in front of the suitcase she had brought, rummaging through it without caring about the mess she was making.

Though the hem of the female ghost’s robe still drifted before her eyes, Si Wan had learned to ignore it and paid no attention to the ghost’s words.

Si Wan’s face remained calm, but her hands moved frantically, making it difficult for her to find what she was looking for.

Finally, Si Wan found the object tucked away in a corner of her clothes, a red cord held in her hand, with a jade Buddha pendant hanging from its end.

It was a gift from one of her students before the trip, who claimed it had been blessed at a temple. At the time, Si Wan hadn’t believed in such things, but since it was a gift, she had tucked it into her luggage while packing.

Clutching the jade Buddha in her palm, its cool, smooth texture brought her a sense of relief. But before she could stand up, the female ghost’s haunting voice whispered in her ear once more.

“I’m a vengeful spirit, you know. Vengeful spirits aren’t afraid of these things.”

The female ghost’s tone was almost teasing, but Si Wan had no mind to pay attention. Instead, as soon as the words were spoken, her body stiffened abruptly, and she gripped the jade Buddha even tighter.

Si Wan knew the female ghost was perched on her left shoulder at that very moment. A bone-chilling cold kept her from turning her head, forcing her to feign composure as she stood up and casually hung the jade Buddha pendant around her neck.

The ghost sat on the bed, her crimson dress spilling over the pure white sheets, watching Si Wan’s movements with an amused smile.

Then, she observed as Si Wan finished washing up with an expressionless face, picked up her coat, and walked out the door, as if the ghost didn’t exist in Si Wan’s world at all.

The ghost idly toyed with the gold-rimmed glasses that Si Wan had bent out of shape. Just as Si Wan was about to step out, the glasses snapped in two with a crisp crack in the ghost’s hand.

Hearing the sound, Si Wan paused mid-step but continued forward with a look of grim determination, prompting a soft laugh from the ghost behind her.

…