Reborn with My Genius Husband-Chapter 35: My Teaching Career Meets Its Waterloo

Chapter 35: Chapter 35: My Teaching Career Meets Its Waterloo

By the time Holly Winslow and Sean Hayes arrived at the side of the stage in their baggy uniforms, Mortimer Quincy was already there, standing next to the principal with his head slightly lowered.

He was wearing Jarton High’s blue and white uniform, with the two words "Jarton High" written on the left side of the chest.

His height filled out the uniform’s length, embodying the spirit the school aimed for while adding a touch of handsomeness.

’In contrast, my own uniform is loose and saggy. The sleeves are bunched up, and even though I’ve cuffed the pants legs way up, they’re still too long, covering my white sneakers.’

A shadow fell over him, and Mortimer Quincy subconsciously looked up, a hint of a smile flashing in his eyes.

The Jarton Second High uniforms were genuinely ugly, but the girl in it was genuinely beautiful. He uttered a single word: "Holly."

Holly Winslow glanced at the principal and school leaders behind her and called out guiltily, "Cousin."

Mortimer Quincy raised an eyebrow, pulled a chocolate bar from his pocket, tore it open, and handed it to her. "Your favorite."

The principal and the director of guidance standing nearby glanced over. The principal’s usually stern face was amiable. "You two cousins have such a good relationship. Holly Winslow, you should learn more from your cousin in the future."

He hadn’t the slightest suspicion that these two were a "puppy love" couple.

Holly Winslow: "..."

She ate the chocolate under the watchful eyes of the principal and the school leaders. It had a rich, milky fragrance, but it wasn’t overly sweet.

This kind of chocolate was hard to find on the market.

She licked her lips and looked at Mortimer Quincy.

"There’s more. I’ll give it to you later."

Mortimer Quincy reached out, took the wrapper from her hand, and stuffed it into his pants pocket.

As someone who spent his years catching students in relationships, Director Vance felt that something was off. Very off.

A short while later, the assembly began. Holly Winslow and Sean Hayes went on stage together to give the opening address. "Good morning, esteemed leaders, teachers, and fellow students. The autumn sky is clear and the air is crisp..."

Mortimer Quincy pulled his phone from his pocket, found a good angle, and took a picture of the girl on stage.

Her high ponytail revealed her lovely side profile. Compared to the boy next to her, she was a much more poised host.

The principal took a few extra glances at Holly Winslow and said to Director Vance, "Holly Winslow is quite good."

Director Vance smiled and nodded in agreement, selectively forgetting the puppy love incident from a couple of days ago.

’The principal is the boss.’

Next, it was the principal’s turn to speak on stage. He adjusted the microphone. "This time, our school has invited an outstanding student from Jarton High, Mortimer Quincy. Student Mortimer Quincy achieved an incredible score on his monthly exam—743 points, with perfect scores in Math, English, Chemistry, Physics, and Biology..."

"Next, let’s have Student Mortimer Quincy share his study methods. Everyone, be sure to prick up your ears and listen closely. Afterward, if you have any questions about studying, you can raise your hand and ask."

When it was Mortimer Quincy’s turn to take the stage, the applause from below was much louder than before.

Mortimer Quincy reached out and adjusted the height of the microphone. "Every—"

He had only said one word when the microphone died.

He tapped the top of the microphone, but there was still no response. He turned his head to look at Holly Winslow.

Holly Winslow quickly walked over with the microphone from her own hand and helped him place it on the stand. Because the stand was too high, she had to stand on her tiptoes.

Mortimer Quincy chuckled, took the microphone from her hand, and his voice came through, smooth and enthralling, "Holly, let me."

He said this right into the microphone, so the entire school heard it.

The crowd below erupted. "Whoa!"

Holly Winslow: "..."

"Mortimer Quincy, tone it down," she whispered.

After issuing the warning, she took the other microphone and retreated to the side of the lectern.

Mortimer Quincy stood up straight. "Hello, everyone. It’s a pleasure to meet you all here. I’m Holly Winslow’s... Mortimer Quincy." As he finished, the corners of his lips curved up slightly.

There was a moment of silence over the microphone, so everyone, including the principal, assumed they had simply missed a few words.

Immediately, a wave of enthusiastic applause swept from below.

Holly Winslow: "..."

’What was that jerk Mortimer Quincy relying on to be so brazen?’

’His 743 points?’

After his speech came the Q&A session, which Holly Winslow moderated. "You can all raise your hands to ask Student Mortimer Quincy some questions, for example, about his study methods."

Quite a few people raised their hands.

To ensure no bizarre questions were asked, she picked a very quiet-looking girl in the front row. "You, right there."

Someone then passed a microphone to her.

The girl stood up, trembling with excitement. "Mortimer Quincy, do you have a girlfriend?"

Holly Winslow: "..."

’I completely misjudged her.’

The Principal: "..."

’My teaching career has just met its Waterloo.’

An uproar immediately followed.

His face turned green.

Mortimer Quincy adjusted the microphone, shot a subtle glance at Holly Winslow, and answered seriously, "Yes."

"WHOA!" The students below instantly erupted.

Holly Winslow: "..."

The Principal: "..."

The Director of Guidance: "..."

Then, Mortimer Quincy continued, "She’s a very outstanding girl. I’ll work even harder to keep up with her."

He had just confessed his feelings to her in front of the entire school. Holly Winslow’s heart skipped a beat as she gazed at his side profile.

...

After the speech ended, it wasn’t just the director of guidance who felt something was off; the principal also felt that something was amiss, though he couldn’t quite put his finger on it.

But then he thought of the number 743, pushed the strange feeling to the back of his mind, and took Mortimer Quincy on a tour of the school.

Holly Winslow returned to her classroom for her next class.

Clara Zane raised her hand to look at her watch. More than half the class period had already passed, so she decided to skip the lecture and just chat with the students. Leaning against the teacher’s desk, she asked, "Did everyone gain anything from listening to Student Mortimer Quincy’s study methods just now?"

"Yes!" the whole class answered in unison.

Clara Zane said with a smile, "You can all use the vocabulary memorization method that Student Mortimer Quincy shared—reading while writing, and quizzing each other on spelling." 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

Holly Winslow marked a ’B’ on her English workbook. Hearing this, she couldn’t help but inwardly mock Scholar Quincy for plagiarizing her study method.

’Then again, that guy Mortimer Quincy had an insane memory; he basically remembered anything he saw just once.’

’As for the spelling quizzes, I had paid a hefty "price" for them back in the day.’

...

Fourth period was Vivian Sheffield’s chemistry class.

Maybe the excitement from the assembly hadn’t worn off, but there was a constant low murmur of chatter in the classroom. After enduring it for a few minutes, Vivian Sheffield slammed her textbook on the desk and said angrily, "What are you talking about! With grades like yours, you have the nerve to talk?"

"If you could score in the 740s like Student Mortimer Quincy—no, even if you could score 600, that would be something! Forget talking, you could tear this classroom apart and I wouldn’t say a single word."

"But look at your scores! A whole bunch of you are in the 300s. That’s less than half of Student Mortimer Quincy’s score."

"I’ve been understanding, thinking you’re in a bad mood from your poor test results, and I haven’t criticized you much. And you? Is this how you repay your teacher?"

"With the grades most of you in this class have, you’ll only be able to get into a vocational college! It’s not that I’m looking down on vocational colleges, it’s that society is just this harsh. Bachelor’s degrees are a dime a dozen these days. Do you really think you can compete with a bachelor’s degree holder when all you have is a vocational diploma?"

"Once you’re out in the real world, the first thing people look at is your educational qualifications, not your abilities. Only when your qualifications are up to par will a boss even begin to appreciate your abilities."

The principal at the classroom doorway: "..."

’I just told Student Mortimer Quincy that the learning atmosphere at Jarton Second High was actually quite good.’