After Dreaming That the Top Student in My Grade Was My Wife - Chapter 9

Chapter 9: Writing a Poem for You

On the second day of the Lunar New Year, Tao Shuran woke up very early.

After washing up, she opened her jewelry box. Although she was only a high school freshman and couldn’t wear much jewelry, the box was filled to the brim with a large collection of hair bows.

When studying, she had no choice, but during the holidays, every time she met Jiang Hanqi, she would try her best to pick her most satisfying look.

And today was the first time Jiang Hanqi would see her in the New Year. Terms like “Primacy Effect,” “Recency Effect,” and “Halo Effect” (completely unrelated to each other) were spinning in Tao Shuran’s mind. In short, she felt she absolutely had to choose her best-looking outfit.

After comparing for a long time, Tao Shuran finally selected a red velvet hair clip with a layer of naturally curved dark tulle, which perfectly matched the color scheme of the dress she wanted to wear today.

Next, she started picking a hairstyle from a phone app, learning from a video three times before braiding a shape she was satisfied with. The hair was voluminous, which not only increased the height of her cranial top but also made her head look round and her face small.

Tao Shuran looked in the mirror until she couldn’t be more satisfied before going out for breakfast. She endured until her parents left the house, then immediately rushed back to her room, sent a text to notify Jiang Hanqi that she could come over, and began changing her clothes.

She pulled out a light brown V-neck sweater and paired it with a wine-red corduroy pleated miniskirt—this was the combination she had planned last night.

However, wearing this was still too cold for the season. To make her legs look thin, she had to wear slightly thinner stockings.

Therefore, she had to wait until her parents were gone to turn on all the air conditioners in the house before putting on the beautiful skirt to welcome Jiang Hanqi’s arrival.

Of course, these things could not be known by her parents.

Tao Shuran turned on the heat lamps in the bathroom and waited patiently until Jiang Hanqi said she was downstairs. Only then did she carefully pin on her hair clip and jog to the door to open it.

Then, she saw Jiang Hanqi standing alone outside the door. Every button of her trench coat was fastened perfectly, her shirt collar was clean and straight, and even her posture was so standard it revealed a hint of constraint.

Jiang Hanqi was carrying two gift bags, a professional smile on her face.

Although she had done a lot of homework yesterday and practiced repeatedly in front of the mirror, this was, after all, the first time Jiang Hanqi faced such an important occasion. In actual combat, she was inevitably a bit stiff.

The gift for Tao’s mother was relatively simple: she chose a high-end luxury skincare set that couldn’t go wrong.

As for Tao’s father, she found student comments on various Shanghai Jiao Tong University forums—everyone said that whenever they saw Professor Hu, whether in the classroom or the office, he was bound to be holding the glass water bottle he had used for over a decade, with a thick layer of green tea leaves covering the bottom.

So, yesterday afternoon, she made an unprecedented phone call to her mother.

Upon receiving the call, Jiang’s mother’s first reaction was that some natural or man-made disaster had befallen her daughter and medical staff were using her phone to notify her.

After all, this daughter was truly not close to her at all. Although she constantly heard reports that Jiang Hanqi was exceptionally outstanding in all aspects, she had never heard Jiang Hanqi take the initiative to talk to her.

She didn’t share her brilliance, nor did she complain or reproach her for her neglect; from beginning to end, there was only estrangement.

And this call was actually for a box of West Lake Longjing tea.

West Lake Longjing is actually just a regional name. Ordinary products on the market, though not cheap, are not considered particularly good. The top-grade West Lake Longjing is extremely particular about the timing, location, and production process; only about a hundred boxes are produced a year. These mostly flow into official channels and are tea of the state banquet level—no amount of money can easily buy a box.

Jiang’s mother thought for a moment; it wasn’t impossible to get, but: “Is there a use for this tea?”

“It’s very important, a once-in-a-lifetime kind of important.” Isn’t meeting one’s parents-in-law for the first time a once-in-a-lifetime thing? Jiang Hanqi’s tone on the phone was resolute.

Hearing her daughter’s solemn tone, Jiang’s mother raised her elegant eyebrows slightly and agreed. She asked a friend to use other connections to get two boxes and had them delivered from the capital to Shanghai overnight.

At this moment, Tao Shuran, reaching out to take the gift boxes from Jiang Hanqi, had no idea how expensive the items inside were. She only felt a sense of sadness in her heart.

The first thing Jiang Hanqi said the moment she saw her was: “Aren’t you cold? Go put on a coat.”

She casually placed the gift boxes on the living room tea table while ushering Jiang Hanqi into her room, explaining: “My dad and mom went to visit relatives today. Hehe, super free.”

Entering the room and feeling the warm air hitting her face, Jiang Hanqi’s slightly furrowed brows finally relaxed. She looked at Tao Shuran’s exuberant figure and nodded with a slight smile.

She quickly opened her phone memo and took a note: Visiting relatives on the second day of the Lunar New Year; remember to choose an appropriate visiting time.

On the other side, Tao Shuran had already pulled out a chair and pressed Jiang Hanqi down to sit, presenting her essay paper like a treasure.

“A Special Fondness”—this was the final version Tao Shuran had transcribed after drafting it over a dozen times.

Tao Shuran’s handwriting was delicate and elegant, the regular script she had practiced since elementary school suitable for filling out answer sheets. As the saying goes, “handwriting reflects the person.” The style and grace of the script were just like Tao Shuran herself. Jiang Hanqi felt it was very pleasing to the eye at first glance.

She picked up a blank piece of A4 paper and a red pen from the side, aligned them with the essay paper, and began grading.

The poem Tao Shuran wrote was full of charm and lingering affection. Jiang Hanqi only made changes to a few word choices, preserving the spirit Tao Shuran had given it. She read it three times before looking up at Tao Shuran, her eyes full of admiration: “It’s very well written.”

Tao Shuran, who had been nervous for a long time, suddenly felt her shy smile freeze at these words. She sat beside Jiang Hanqi, stroking her hair at the temple with her left hand, a bit disappointed: “Is… is that all?”

“Hmm?” Jiang Hanqi looked back with some confusion. “Because it’s written exceptionally well, there’s no need to change much else. Poetry specifically requires personal style; you performed very well. Adding extra strokes would instead destroy the artistic conception.”

Seeing Tao Shuran still looking speechless, she thought she felt the critique was too perfunctory, so she thought for a moment and replied: “Your imagination has always been very good. If I had to say I have any advantage over you in writing poetry, it would only be my volume of reading. Therefore, you should trust my judgment even more.”

“However, writing poetry daily can refine language and improve writing skills, but during exams, grading is too subjective and scores for poetry are very unstable. I wouldn’t recommend it.”

“…Who wants to hear you say all that?” Tao Shuran lowered her head, her downward fringe barely covering her eyes. She picked at the table with her left index finger, feeling a bit stifled.

Her imagination was indeed too good; otherwise, how could she write a love poem for a block of wood like Jiang Hanqi!

Jiang Hanqi seemed to critique it logically, even mentioning “artistic conception,” but she probably didn’t understand it at all!

To think she even dared to want a response…

Tao Shuran sighed in her heart. Although it was indeed hard to respond to, she unwillingly gave a hint: “Jiang Hanqi, this is a narrative poem.”

“Mm, I know.” Jiang Hanqi nodded and laughed, her words full of sincerity. “Because you allowed me the honor of participating, this poem makes me feel very warm. Compared to meticulously designed structures, the emotions poured into the poem are more moving. Sealing time into poetry is a very good way of preservation. I like it very much and am very happy. Thank you for writing me into your poem.”

Tao Shuran used to feel that Jiang Hanqi was a very lonely person. Toward people, things, and herself, no matter what she looked at, there was always nothing in her eyes, as if she never cared about anything.

She once thought this was the indifference of a strong person standing apart from the world.

But she found that whenever Jiang Hanqi looked at her, her gaze was always focused and solemn, without avoidance. Gazing at her, behind those irises plated with frost, there seemed to be passion burning—just like when they looked at each other from afar during the New Year’s performance, just like now.

Although it sounded like a simple piece of plain speech with only the alternating of subject and object, even using the word “very” three times, Tao Shuran was suddenly satisfied. She felt that her effort throughout the night had not been in vain.

“Do you have a photocopier at home?” Jiang Hanqi asked.

Tao Shuran shook her head.

“The essay will be handed in and graded, but I want to keep a copy.” Jiang Hanqi let out an imperceptible sigh. “It seems I can only use my phone to scan it.”

Seeing Tao Shuran nod in agreement, Jiang Hanqi took out her phone. After unlocking it with her fingerprint, she prepared to start a new memo.

“Actually, I, I,” a faint red crawled onto Tao Shuran’s face; she felt as if she were recommending herself for a bed. “I wrote it several times in my draft book before. Do you want to see those? I can just give you the whole notebook.”

“Sure.” Jiang Hanqi’s fingers paused. She placed her phone on the table and reached out with both hands to take the draft book Tao Shuran handed over, flipping through it on her lap.

Tao Shuran was both happy and shy. She was just about to add, “Actually, I can transcribe it again on cardstock, stationery, or a postcard,” when she suddenly noticed the latest entry on Jiang Hanqi’s phone memo interface. The last modification time was not long ago.

The title was “Points for Attention,” and below seemed to be a list of key points. The secondary interface only showed the first twenty words of the text: “1. On the first visit, one must have a proper attitude and show…“

This, this, this.

Student Tao, with her excellent imagination, immediately linked some things that shouldn’t be linked.

Tao Shuran looked at the memo, then peeked at Jiang Hanqi, who was looking down at the draft book. Big Boss Jiang’s expression was normal, the innate frost on her face unthawed, her trench coat smooth—her entire being exuded a kind of solemnity.

Why would such a thing be on the big boss’s phone? It’s hard not to let one’s mind wander…

Jiang Hanqi clearly noticed Tao Shuran’s overly shocked expression. She looked up and cast an inquiring look.

“Er, Jiang, Jiang Hanqi, why do you have this kind of thing saved?” No matter how awkward, Tao Shuran had to satisfy her curiosity.

“Mm, I have the habit of taking notes during self-study.” Jiang Hanqi nodded, her face perfectly still.

“…Why would you learn this kind of thing?”

Jiang Hanqi still wore a serious expression. Her voice was steady, as if emphasizing to Tao Shuran the importance of mastering derivatives for the college entrance exam math: “One only regrets the lack of knowledge when it’s time to use it, so I have read many books. Although I was troubled for a long time that they wouldn’t be put to use, I feel they are very useful now.”

…What kind of nonsense is she talking? How can this be useful.

Tao Shuran silently mocked the big boss’s “advanced learning” while urging Jiang Hanqi, saying she wanted to see Jiang Hanqi’s essay.

Studying together and progressing together—the essay peer-review session was something they had agreed upon before the Spring Festival break. Yesterday, she had also reminded Jiang Hanqi to remember to bring her own essay.

Jiang Hanqi took out a transparent folder from her backpack, which neatly held her finished winter break homework, and handed it to Tao Shuran. Tao Shuran then picked up the red pen and began to write revision suggestions.

Although she knew this was the trend for college entrance exam writing, Jiang Hanqi actually wrote entirely argumentative essays. Tao Shuran secretly pouted, feeling a little disappointed in her heart.

Jiang Hanqi noticed the change in her expression and asked softly: “What’s wrong?”

“Hmm, I think, hmm,” Tao Shuran chose her words carefully, trying to subtly express her dissatisfaction that Jiang Hanqi hadn’t mentioned so much as a single hair of hers in the essay. “I think writing only argumentative essays isn’t quite reasonable. You should try to use as many different literary styles as possible. Although argumentative essays are the most stable for scoring, a good narrative essay can also be written very brilliantly. Er, I mean, you can pick a topic and write about, er, things that have happened… or something.”

The more Tao Shuran spoke, the more guilty she felt, and her voice lowered.

Jiang Hanqi listened very seriously. It was unclear if she understood the small thoughts in Tao Shuran’s words. With a half-smile, she said: “What you say makes sense. On one hand, it’s because I don’t like reading novels. On the other hand, it’s also considering that most things in the past were very boring with nothing to write about. As for recent events… I don’t want to write about them.”

“Why?” Tao Shuran’s ending tone rose slightly.

“Homework that is written still has to be shown to others. But important things, I only want to cherish for myself.” As Jiang Hanqi spoke, she looked at Tao Shuran with what seemed to be a deep meaning, though her voice sounded nonchalant. “What if a one-of-a-kind treasure is stolen?”

Being glanced at, Tao Shuran’s face suddenly turned red again, yet she still replied: “Nonsense, you’re so amazing, who could steal your things?”

Unexpectedly, Jiang Hanqi was very satisfied with these words. She looked at Tao Shuran happily for a while before saying leisurely: “Good, I’ll take your word for it.”

Student Tao, with her excellent imagination, turned even redder.

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