My Partner Always Wants to Dig My Grave - Chapter 9

The tattered red dress occasionally drifted toward Song Yan’s feet as the female ghost moved, sending an inexplicable chill creeping up her legs.

Song Yan couldn’t see the ghost chattering away beside Si Wan, but she shivered involuntarily. Puzzled, she glanced up at the blazing sun outside the canopy and quietly asked Liu Yaoyao beside her, “What’s the temperature today?”

Liu Yaoyao, who was still cooling herself with a small fan, thought back to the weather forecast she’d seen on her phone earlier and replied, “The lowest was 37 degrees. Right now, it should be around 38 or 39 degrees. Are you feeling hot? If so, keep eating, I’ll go get another fan for you.”

Misunderstanding Song Yan’s meaning, Liu Yaoyao started to stand up to fetch another fan but was pulled back by Song Yan, who held her hand and made her sit down again. Liu Yaoyao looked at Song Yan in confusion.

After a moment of thought, Song Yan shook her head and said, “It’s not that I’m hot right now, it’s just…” She frowned, considering her words carefully. Not daring to reveal the strange sensation she’d just felt in front of Si Wan, she finally spoke again, “It’s just a bit cold.”

In truth, it was more than just “a bit cold”, Song Yan felt as if her legs were nearly frozen numb. Yet, she couldn’t deny that the outdoor temperature was absurdly high. Her upper and lower body seemed to be experiencing two extremes, half cold, half hot, making her almost suspect she had contracted some serious illness.

Hearing Song Yan’s words, Liu Yaoyao let out an “Ah?” of surprise, and even Si Wan turned to look at her, making Song Yan feel somewhat embarrassed.

“Where is it cold? There’s no air conditioning here.” Liu Yaoyao asked, puzzled.

Si Wan subtly glanced at the faint red shadow beside her and said calmly, “I feel cold too.”

Liu Yaoyao: “…”

Liu Yaoyao’s face was a picture of disbelief, as if she’d seen a ghost. Before she could ask anything further, Si Wan continued, “Before we arrived, did many villagers take things from here?”

Liu Yaoyao thought seriously for a moment before replying, “Actually, it was just my second uncle and a few others. They were working here and happened to dig some things up. But after I reported it, Officer Nian already sent people to retrieve them.”

As Liu Yaoyao’s voice gradually blended with Sheng Zhen’s clamoring, Si Wan furrowed her brow.

Si Wan’s cold expression carried a faint, ominous aura that startled Liu Yaoyao, who worried she had said something wrong and quickly asked, “Is something missing?”

“My hairpin is missing!”

Sheng Zhen drifted over to Liu Yaoyao’s side and whispered eerily into her ear, looking utterly terrifying. Unfortunately, Liu Yaoyao could neither see nor hear her.

The female ghost’s presence was intensely cold, and her proximity made Liu Yaoyao shiver as well. Rubbing her goosebump-covered arms, Liu Yaoyao finally understood what Si Wan and Song Yan meant by “cold.” She muttered under her breath in confusion, “How strange. Why do I suddenly feel a bit cold?”

Si Wan glanced at the ghost floating near Liu Yaoyao and asked, seemingly casually, “Then, did anyone…” She paused, then frowned and inquired, “Did anyone see any accessories?”

Upon hearing this, Liu Yaoyao was momentarily stunned. After collecting her thoughts, she searched her memory but found nothing. Under Si Wan’s gaze, she could only shake her head and say,

“I don’t think so. Most of the items are weapons and some cups and vessels.”

“Impossible!”

The female ghost shrieked, her agitated expression suggesting she had nothing to do with the disappearance of her hairpin.

The sudden scream made Si Wan, the only one who could hear it, instinctively raise her hands to cover her ears, trying to block out the sound.

Seeing Si Wan’s movement, the other two looked over in confusion. Song Yan asked,

“Professor Si, what’s wrong?”

Si Wan realized her hands were already raised. Under their gazes, she had to pretend nothing was wrong, lowering her hands and speaking calmly.

“It’s nothing.”

After saying this, Si Wan placed the remaining lunchbox from her lap onto a nearby table, stood up, and walked toward the direction of the tombstone.

Seeing Si Wan about to leave, Sheng Zhen pestered her again, continuing to clamor around her like a broken record, repeating the same phrase in an attempt to regain Si Wan’s attention.

But Si Wan, determined to ignore her, kept her eyes fixed straight ahead, refusing to spare even a glance at the ghost drifting beside her.

Even though Si Wan paid her no mind, the female ghost didn’t lose heart. She crossed her arms and floated in front of Si Wan, sitting on the tombstone. The hem of her robe covered most of the inscription, but Si Wan’s gaze remained fixed as if she could see right through the fabric.

Sheng Zhen tilted her head to the side, let out a huff, and pouted, saying,

“I know you can see me. If you don’t answer me, I’ll really climb into your bed tonight.”

Si Wan remained unmoved. Sheng Zhen glanced at her out of the corner of her eye, a sly glint flashing in her eyes, as if she knew Si Wan’s weakness all too well. With her pale face and crimson lips, she deliberately made a frightening expression, like one used to scare children, and spoke in a sinister tone.

“You wouldn’t want the lights in your room to suddenly go out and a ghost to crawl into your bed, would you? You’re terrified of that.”

At these words, Si Wan paused, her eyes subtly glancing at the red-clad ghost. The other’s face was still terrifyingly pale, but as she spoke, her eyes inexplicably seemed more lively. Even the deliberately exaggerated expression she made seemed somewhat endearing.

But more than the ghost’s antics, Si Wan was concerned about something else the ghost had said.

Si Wan thought for a long time, nearly blurting out how the ghost knew she was afraid of the dark.

She opened her mouth but ultimately held back. Looking at the ghost’s dramatic posturing, she couldn’t help but curl her lips into a slight smile.

The ghost sat on the tombstone, swinging her legs idly like she was on a swing, bored since Si Wan refused to acknowledge her.

She scanned the busy people around before her gaze settled on Si Wan once more. The intensity of her stare made it impossible for Si Wan to ignore.

Just as Si Wan was on the verge of breaking, the ghost let out a soft sigh. Her slender, pale fingers twirled her long hair as she said,

“Si Wan, I never imagined you’d end up in such a state. If only you had been buried with me back then, think of all the gold and treasures you would have had.”

Si Wan’s expression shifted slightly, but it was because of the ghost’s last few words.

If what the other party said was true, then this tomb belonged to the female ghost before her. But if she truly was the tomb’s owner, it was highly likely that she shared a name with a deceased person.

Thinking this, Si Wan furrowed her brows, lost in thought.

The female ghost didn’t notice Si Wan’s expression and simply spoke again on her own.

“Never mind. Since you’re now following in the footsteps of those grave robbers, digging me out will still grant you my wealth. Consider it my reward to you.”

As she spoke, the female ghost suddenly leaned in close to Si Wan, blowing a chilling breath by her ear and curling her lips into a smile.

“But it depends on whether you can find it.”

Her words, spoken so deliberately and seductively, were chilling coming from a ghost, instantly making Si Wan stiffen.

Yet the words “grave robbery” lingered in Si Wan’s mind. As it concerned her professional integrity, she wanted to refute the ghost, but she swallowed her words, once again dismissing Sheng Zhen as a hallucination.

Sheng Zhen, however, continued to lament how Si Wan had fallen so low as to take up grave robbing. It felt like a jab at her sore spot, making it impossible to ignore. After hearing a few more remarks, Si Wan clenched her fists, tightening and loosening them repeatedly, trying to endure it.

But then…

Si Wan bit her lower lip slightly, suddenly stood up, and her shadow fell over the female ghost before her.

Her abrupt movement made the ghost stop speaking.

Sheng Zhen looked up, puzzled, and seeing Si Wan’s cold expression, she chuckled for some unknown reason.

Ignoring the ghost’s laughter, Si Wan couldn’t forget the insult to her profession. She turned and walked toward the shed.

Song Yan, noticing Si Wan’s sudden approach, asked, “Professor Si, do you need something?”

Si Wan thought for a moment and replied, “Did you bring your professional textbooks?”

“Huh?”

Song Yan shook her head. “It’s been too long; I’ve almost forgotten.”

At that moment, Liu Yaoyao timidly raised her hand like a student in class and said, “Um, I think I have one.”

Since Si Wan was here, it was like having a live demonstration, and Liu Yaoyao had even brought her textbook along so as not to fall behind in her studies.

After speaking, Liu Yaoyao handed over the book she had just been taking notes in.

Si Wan flipped directly to the front, her gaze skipping over the author’s name and landing on a specific passage.

The other two watched Si Wan’s actions, thinking she had something important to explain, and looked over as well.

“This…” Song Yan hesitated, unable to grasp Si Wan’s intention.

Sheng Zhen drifted over and, seeing Si Wan intently reading the book, teased with a playful smile, “Are you angry? Come, let me comfort you.”

Si Wan paid no attention. Worried that the ghost might not see clearly, she even picked up a nearby pen and asked, “Can I mark it?”

Seeing that the question was directed at her, Liu Yaoyao glanced at the pen in Si Wan’s hand and then at her book before nodding. “Yes, you can.”

Only after receiving Liu Yaoyao’s confirmation did Si Wan begin to mark the book. To ensure the ghost following her could see, she deliberately underlined a line of text, just as she would highlight key points during a lecture.

Sure enough, Sheng Zhen followed Si Wan’s movements, and the specially underlined words appeared before her eyes.

Simplified characters…

Si Wan was in the middle of underlining when she remembered that Sheng Zhen was an ancient female ghost. She gritted her teeth and asked Liu Yaoyao once more.

“Can you write characters?”

Liu Yaoyao didn’t understand the reason but nodded anyway.

Si Wan then picked up a pen and carefully wrote the characters from that era in the blank space of the book page.

The handwriting was elegant and refined, and Sheng Zhen finally understood the replicated words.

[Archaeology, the study of ancient times, belongs to…]

The passage wasn’t very long, but after reading it carefully, Sheng Zhen burst out laughing.

“This humble one has indeed slept for a long time, but my mind hasn’t gone bad. What you’ve written here sounds grand and righteous, but you never asked for permission. Even if you don’t take the burial goods, you’re still disturbing the spirits. Haven’t you seen it yourself? I was awakened by all of you.”

Upon hearing this, Si Wan wanted to retort but found herself at a loss for words. The other’s remarks even made her ponder deeply.

For archaeologists like them, discovering a tomb meant finding a way to excavate it. There really was no method to consult the tomb’s owner.

Now that she had encountered Sheng Zhen, a ghost, her understanding of the world had already been overturned. If she encountered a few more, Si Wan wasn’t sure if she’d be scared into a heart attack.

After thinking for a moment, she decided to abandon the impractical idea that had just crossed her mind.

Si Wan returned the book to Liu Yaoyao and was about to leave when she heard Sheng Zhen speak beside her.

“Still digging? You won’t find anything here anymore. It’s empty.”

Si Wan didn’t fully believe the female ghost’s words, after all, one couldn’t trust ghost talk.

Just then, Liu Yaoyao called out to her.

“Professor Si.”

Si Wan paused, and Sheng Zhen also stopped, leaning close to her shoulder, watching as the person in front of her blushed shyly and stammered.

“Professor Si, I told my grandmother that you’ve come to our village. She was very happy and would like to invite you for a meal.”

After saying this, Liu Yaoyao nervously hugged her book, lowering her head. When she received no response for a long time, she spoke again softly.

“If Professor Si is too busy, then I won’t disturb you.”

Si Wan had originally intended to refuse, but she suddenly remembered the hairpin the female ghost kept mentioning and how her words seemed to imply she’d snuff out her lamp at night.

The thought sent a shiver down her spine, so after hesitating for a moment, she replied.

“Alright, I’ll go.”

…