Chapter 248: Chapter 258: Someone is Turning 22
Sophomore year started with the library under construction and ended with it complete. The brand-new building welcomed everyone into their junior year.
Right at the start of junior year, Mortimer Quincy and Holly Winslow moved out together, officially starting their life of cohabitation like a married couple.
Junior year’s course load was significantly lighter, giving students more time to study for certification exams.
Through Holly Winslow’s tireless efforts, she had already earned certificates for advanced English proficiency, high-level computer skills, Level 1-B standard Mandarin, and her primary school teaching qualification, among others.
This year, she was preparing to take the exam for her secondary school teaching qualification.
Her accomplishments were impressive on their own, but they paled in comparison to that rascal Mortimer Quincy’s. Next to his, her collection of certificates seemed pitifully small.
Mortimer Quincy had certificates for advanced English and high-level computer skills, Level 1-A standard Mandarin, business English, and professional qualifications for securities, banking, and futures trading...
Basically, he hadn’t missed a single relevant exam and had even snagged some highly prestigious ones.
Their combined certificates filled half a cabinet at home. Add in all the trophies Mortimer Quincy had won from competitions, and the shelves in the study were completely full.
By the end of the first semester of junior year, Mortimer Quincy had already been crowned a "god."
The God of Exams.
At the start of the second semester of junior year, Holly Winslow paid a visit to the dorm room she hadn’t stayed in for a while, only to find her old spot had been turned into a "shrine."
It looked like they had found a solo picture of Mortimer Quincy on her social media page and had it printed out.
"..."
Serena Shaw said with a grin, "Holly, your boyfriend is holding your spot for you. And while he’s at it, he’s blessing the three of us in this dorm."
"Last semester, I was one point away from failing a class. That was a close call! It’s all thanks to your boyfriend’s blessing."
Holly Winslow joked back, "Shouldn’t your Scholar Cheney be the one blessing you?"
Serena Shaw had gotten together with Nathan Chaney during the first semester of junior year.
Serena Shaw blushed slightly. "He can’t compare to your boyfriend. He’s been number one in the finance department for three years straight. The professors even say he’s a once-in-a-century talent."
Holly Winslow couldn’t help but laugh. "He certainly is a rare find."
’A rare breed of sass.’
Autumn Underwood asked curiously, "What wind blew you back here? Aren’t you busy being all lovey-dovey with your boyfriend?"
Before Holly Winslow could answer, Simone Quincy came in from the balcony. "Tsk, her boyfriend is waiting for her downstairs."
"Holly, he’s not just a boyfriend. He’s more like a husband you’ve been married to for years."
"Oops, you guessed it," Holly Winslow said, then added, "Could you guys pick up my textbooks for me? I’ll buy you all bubble tea tomorrow. Thanks."
Autumn Underwood teased, "Forget the bubble tea. Just send a boyfriend like yours my way."
"Sure thing, I’ll go steal one for you," Holly Winslow played along.
After a few minutes of chatting, she went downstairs.
Mortimer Quincy was drawing a small crowd. It wasn’t anything crazy, just a few groups of people walking past him, then looping back for another look.
Holly Winslow tutted internally, then ran over to stake her claim. "Moira."
"Mm." Mortimer Quincy raised an eyebrow, then suddenly uttered a single word: "Baby."
Holly Winslow: "..."
She couldn’t help but cough. She dropped the act, unable to keep it up any longer. "Let’s go, quickly."
...
Lately, Holly Winslow had a feeling Mortimer Quincy was being secretive. He often came home late, and sometimes, he wouldn’t come home at all.
If it weren’t for the fact that he had no money on him, she might have suspected he was out on a date.
It was eight or nine in the evening, and Mortimer Quincy still wasn’t home. He had been getting off work at a normal time recently.
The usually Zen Holly Winslow couldn’t take it anymore. She pulled out her phone, about to call Mortimer Quincy, when she suddenly noticed the date: April 10th.
’It’s already April 10th.’
’Someone’s about to turn twenty-two.’
She hummed knowingly a few times, turned off her screen, and put down her phone. But she quickly picked it up again and dialed the first contact in her list.
Dad.
As usual, the call was answered within three rings. A familiar voice came through the phone, "Holly."
She asked, "Dad, what are you doing?"
Wyatt Winslow had just gotten home from work. He set down his briefcase and lied, "Just finished dinner."
Holly Winslow said, "Oh." After a dozen or so seconds, she added, "Dad, I want to get a marriage certificate with Mortimer Quincy. Ahem, do you think that’s okay?"
Feeling a bit guilty, she added, "It’ll earn me extra academic credit."
The other end of the line was silent for a long time before he let out a "Mm." "Have you thought it through?"
Holly Winslow had thought it would take a lot of convincing, so she was surprised he agreed so easily. She let out a surprised "Ah?" before replying, "Dad, I have. I’ve thought about it very, very seriously."
"Alright."
Although Wyatt Winslow was reluctant to let his only daughter go, he wasn’t selfish enough to keep her tied to his side.
His daughter deserved her own happiness.
A bittersweet feeling suddenly welled up in Holly Winslow’s heart. She felt like she was beginning to understand Wyatt Winslow’s feelings from her past life. In that life, he hadn’t been angry that she and Mortimer Quincy got married, but that he, her father, only found out after the fact.
He hadn’t been a part of the biggest event in his daughter’s life.
Her voice thick with emotion, she said, "Dad, I’ll live a good life. I won’t let myself be wronged, not even a little."
"Alright."
Wyatt Winslow looked at the reflection of the middle-aged man in the window. His eyes seemed to be a little red.
A matter like this wasn’t as simple and easy as his words made it sound. His daughter was going to marry someone else.
He couldn’t protect her every second of every day anymore.
It was eleven o’clock when Mortimer Quincy returned, carrying a bag of steaming-hot barbecue.
Holly Winslow was lying flat on the sofa reading a book. Hearing the noise, she glanced over, then sat up. She took two deep whiffs of the fragrant aroma and beckoned to him. "Hurry up and bring the barbecue over."
Not hearing the "Hubby, welcome home" he was expecting, Mortimer Quincy pretended to be displeased. "You don’t call me ’Hubby,’ and you still want to eat barbecue? Do you think that’s possible, Wifey?"
He sat down next to her and added, "Call me ’Hubby’ once, and you’ll get lots of barbecue."
Holly Winslow burst out laughing. "Quincy the Puppy, do you see this?" She pointed to a decorative keyboard on the wall.
The words on it read: Cures All Husband Ailments.
She had bought the keyboard from a novelty shop during a "spend X, get Y off" sale just to meet the minimum for the discount.
Mortimer Quincy raised an eyebrow and lied through his teeth. "I can’t see it if you don’t call me ’Hubby’."
Holly Winslow: "..."
She deliberately dragged out the word: "Hub...by...by...by..."
Her lips were puckered, as if she were asking for a kiss.
Mortimer Quincy felt it would be wrong of him to pass up a kiss that was practically being served up on a platter. He leaned in and gently captured her lips, followed a second later by a SMACK.
Holly Winslow’s lips tingled for a few seconds. "..."
Satisfied, Mortimer Quincy presented the barbecue with both hands. "Please accept this, Wifey."
"Accept your head! Next time, I’m going to kiss your lips till they go numb too," Holly Winslow retorted, baring her teeth at him in a mock show of aggression.
This was exactly what Mortimer Quincy wanted. He raised an eyebrow. "No need to wait for next time. How about right now?"
Holly Winslow: "..."
She picked up a skewer and started eating. "Did you buy this on Lorin Road?"
Seeing him nod, she narrowed her eyes. "That’s so far. Quincy the Puppy, you’re up to no good."
This barbecue place was very famous, but it was especially far, a taxi ride of over twenty minutes.
Mortimer Quincy, having been found out: "..."
He said roguishly, "We can rule out theft."
"Which leads to the conclusion: adultery."
Fearing she hadn’t caught his meaning, the rascal repeated the final word. "Adultery."
