做贼心虚 guilty conscience
Explanation
形容做了坏事后害怕被人发现，心里不安。
To describe someone who is uneasy because they have done something wrong and fear it being discovered.
Origin Story
从前，在一个偏僻的小村庄里，住着一位名叫阿牛的年轻农民。阿牛为人老实，勤勤恳恳，但却总是不小心犯些小错，比如偷摘邻居家的果子，或者偷偷地拿走一些小物件。每当他做了这些事后，心里总是忐忑不安，总觉得有人在背后盯着他，甚至在睡梦中也会惊醒，梦到有人来抓他。 有一次，村里举办了一场盛大的庙会，阿牛也兴致勃勃地去了。庙会上人山人海，热闹非凡，各种小吃、杂耍让人目不暇接。阿牛在人群中穿梭，看到一个摊位上摆满了各种精美的工艺品，他忍不住拿走了一块精致的小木雕。 拿了小木雕后，阿牛感到前所未有的紧张，他像做贼一样东张西望，生怕被人发现。他加快脚步，想要尽快离开庙会，可是心里却越来越不安，仿佛有人在追赶他一样。回到家后，他把小木雕藏了起来，但仍然无法平静下来，整夜辗转反侧，无法入睡。 第二天，村长发现小木雕不见了，他开始四处寻找，最后把目光锁定在阿牛身上。阿牛看到村长走近，立刻紧张得手脚发抖，说话也结结巴巴的。村长一眼就看穿了他的心思，严肃地对他说：“阿牛，做人要诚实，做错事就要勇敢地承担责任。”阿牛终于承认了自己的错误，并把小木雕还给了村长。 从那以后，阿牛深刻地体会到了做贼心虚的滋味，他再也不敢做任何对不起别人的事情了。他开始努力做一个正直善良的人，用自己的勤劳和诚实赢得了村民的尊重和爱戴。
Once upon a time, in a secluded village, lived a young farmer named An Niu. An Niu was honest and hardworking, but he often made small mistakes, such as stealing fruit from his neighbors' orchards or secretly taking small items. Every time he did these things, he felt uneasy, as if someone was watching him from behind. He would even wake up from his dreams, haunted by the fear of being caught. One day, a grand temple fair was held in the village, and An Niu excitedly went to join in the fun. The fair was crowded, with various snacks and performances. An Niu wandered among the crowd, and his eyes fell upon a stall displaying exquisite crafts. He couldn't resist taking a beautiful little wooden sculpture. After taking the sculpture, An Niu felt an unprecedented level of anxiety. He looked around nervously, afraid of being discovered. He quickened his pace, wanting to leave the fair as soon as possible, but his heart grew increasingly uneasy, as if someone was chasing him. When he got home, he hid the sculpture, but he still couldn't calm down and tossed and turned all night, unable to sleep. The next day, the village head discovered the missing sculpture and began to search for it. Eventually, his suspicion fell on An Niu. When An Niu saw the village head approaching, he immediately trembled with fear, stammering in his speech. The village head saw through his guilt at once and solemnly said, "An Niu, you must be honest, and if you make a mistake, you must bravely take responsibility." An Niu finally confessed his wrongdoing and returned the sculpture to the village head. From that day on, An Niu truly understood what it meant to have a guilty conscience. He never dared to do anything wrong again and strived to be an upright and kind person, earning the respect and affection of the villagers through his diligence and honesty.
Usage
作谓语、定语、状语；指做了亏心事后害怕被人知道，心里不安。
Used as predicate, attributive, and adverbial; describes someone who is uneasy because they have done something wrong.
Examples
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他做贼心虚，不敢出门。
ta zuo zei xin xu, bugan chumen
He is uneasy because he has a guilty conscience.
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一看他那鬼鬼祟祟的样子，就知道他是做贼心虚。
yikan ta na guiguisuicui de yangzi, jiu zhidao ta shi zuo zei xin xu
His sneaky behavior betrays him: He has a guilty conscience