Chapter 273: Chapter 283: Wording So Direct, PDA Overflows the Screen

His boss saw him come in and called out, "Mortimer, come over here. Propose a toast to the executives."

He didn’t mean anything by it; he’d just had too much to drink and wanted someone to take a few for him.

Mortimer Quincy pressed his lips together, walked over, and raised his glass to the executives.

The female executive across from him, a woman of about forty, was very interested in him. For the past few days, her gaze had kept drifting his way. "Mortimer, sit here. Walk me through the revisions to the contract."

Mortimer Quincy’s expression soured. He suddenly pulled out his phone, his voice just loud enough for everyone present to hear, "Hey, honey. I’m at a business dinner. I’ll call you back later."

The female executive froze at his words, a little surprised. "Married so young?"

Mortimer’s boss seemed to have caught on. He smiled and nodded. "He is. They even have kids. Come, President Shaw, let me tell you about the contract."

When President Shaw heard he already had children, her interest waned. "Never mind. Let’s not talk business today."

It was past ten o’clock. Seeing that they’d had about enough to drink, Mortimer’s boss tentatively asked, "President Shaw, do you think we could sign the contract now?"

"Oh, don’t be in such a rush. Let’s talk about it tomorrow." She started being evasive again, clearly unwilling to sign.

Mortimer’s boss looked displeased, but he kept his composure. "Then we’ll discuss it tomorrow."

...

Mortimer Quincy was the most sober of his colleagues. He escorted his boss back to his room. The boss tugged at his collar and looked at him. "Mortimer, don’t take what happened today to heart. This is your first time negotiating a business deal, so there’s a lot you haven’t seen."

"Once you’ve been to enough of these dinners, you’ll get used to this sort of thing."

"It’s normal to be young and hot-headed, but a lot of the time, you just have to swallow your pride. If I had rejected her like you did today, this deal would most likely have fallen through."

Mortimer didn’t agree. He enunciated each word clearly, "I’m married. Some things are a matter of principle."

Life is about compromise, but not compromising on your principles. He never crossed that line.

It wasn’t that he and Holly Winslow had never fought. They argued frequently in the first few years of their marriage. It was the first marriage for both of them, and they didn’t know how to handle a lot of things.

But he was willing to explain, and Holly was willing to listen. They would point out problems and talk about them directly.

That’s how their relationship had become what it was today.

He was married to Holly Winslow, so he had to be responsible for her, both in his actions and in his heart.

That was the most basic form of respect.

Besides, he loved his wife.

His boss was in his thirties or forties and had grown jaded and bored with marriage. He was taken aback by Mortimer’s words. Looking at the younger man’s face, he suddenly let out a laugh. "Go on, get some sleep. Tomorrow’s another tough battle. Let’s try to get it signed early. Once it’s signed, I’ll approve some time off for you to go see your wife."

Mortimer nodded. "Thank you, sir."

Not long after he returned to his room, a server brought him some congee. "Hello, sir. A lady called earlier and ordered some congee for you, and also some yogurt."

She then handed him an envelope and added, "The lady also asked us to withdraw two thousand yuan in cash for you. Please count it, sir."

"Thank you for the trouble." Mortimer took the envelope, the corners of his lips turning up slightly.

’His wife always said one thing and meant another. She talks about docking his allowance, but then she worries he won’t have enough.’

He raised his wrist to check his watch. It was almost eleven. ’His wife should be asleep by now.’

A few minutes later, Holly’s husband, who hadn’t posted in a while, suddenly made a post.

Congee and medicine, ordered by the wife.

The words were so blunt that the PDA was practically overflowing from the screen.

Boris Owens, the single guy: ...

Mortimer Quincy, can you not show off your perfect marriage every single time you post?

Have some consideration for this single guy. I thank you for sparing my life.

Pantheon: Good thing I have a girlfriend, so I’m not too overwhelmed. But even I need a minute.

Boris Owens replied to Pantheon: Bro, don’t be showing off these days unless you’re married.

It’s a married man’s world now.

Pantheon replied to Boris Owens: At least I’m better off than you.

Boris Owens: You’re just getting my sloppy seconds.

Mortimer Quincy saw this and raised an eyebrow. His long fingers tapped the screen a few times: You guys are just getting my sloppy seconds.

Pantheon: "..."

Boris Owens: "..."

Zeke Zane: "..."

Paul Powell: "..."

That was the goddamn truth.

There wasn’t a single goddamn thing they could say to refute it.

Total annihilation. Satisfied, Mortimer Quincy put down his phone and started to leisurely eat his congee.

Not two minutes later, his phone went DING. He glanced at it, and his hand trembled.

His father-in-law had transferred money to him.

Five thousand yuan.

’His father-in-law was giving him spending money?’

Before he could reply, Wyatt Winslow sent two words over: "Buy bag."

He: "..."

...

On the afternoon of the 17th, Mortimer Quincy’s plane landed. He arrived home a little after 4:10 PM. After changing his clothes, he went to pick up his wife from her class.

He found the classroom number his wife had told him and looked through the window. He saw Holly Winslow in a long denim dress. Her long, curly hair was clipped back, probably to make it easier to write, with a few strands falling alongside her face.

She looked no older than a seventeen or eighteen-year-old girl.

A few high school boys were stealing glances at her from time to time.

Her bona fide husband raised an eyebrow. He walked over to the other side of the balcony to wait.

At five o’clock, the class ended. There was a ten-minute break before the next session.

Holly Winslow was holding a fountain pen, meticulously practicing her penmanship as the teacher had instructed. Suddenly, a shadow fell over her. Her first thought was of Mortimer Quincy. She turned her head, and sure enough, it was him.

She beamed. "Honey."

"Oh, so you still remember you have a husband? I thought my wife was completely captivated by these characters."

Mortimer handed her the milk tea he was holding. "Here’s that allowance you’ve been obsessing over."

Holly huffed. "Your allowance is long gone. In fact, you’re in debt to me."

She scooted over, making room for him on the stool.

After Mortimer sat down, he wrapped an arm around her waist. "Honey, a few little bean sprouts are staring at you."

’Little bean sprouts?’

Holly couldn’t help but cough a few times. Annoyed, she jabbed him with her elbow. "Quincy the Puppy, talk nicely. They’re the flowers of our nation."

Mortimer raised an eyebrow. "The flowers of our nation? Then what does that make me?"

Holly tilted her head and pretended to think it over seriously. "You’re the nation’s big yellow flower."

"Big yellow flower?" Mortimer repeated quietly, looking with amusement at the "big yellow flower’s" wife. He corrected her, "Big cucumber."

Holly instantly got it. "..."

She coughed several more times, then, flustered and angry, she playfully kicked at him. "Get out of here! My class is about to start."

Mortimer checked his watch. There was one minute until class. He slowly stood up and, as he passed by those boys, asked, "My wife is beautiful, isn’t she?"

The boys stared at him. "..."

’He looks a little familiar.’

Watching him leave, the boy in the white t-shirt said, "He looks like the guy from the picture on the final exam essay." 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

The boy in the gray t-shirt added, "That is him! Mortimer Quincy! The year’s top scorer in the city, full marks. Damn."

"My essay was only worth thirty points because of him. The topic for the final was so hard. ’The spirit of a top scholar’ or whatever. How am I supposed to know about the spirit of a top scholar when I’ve never been one?"

The boy in the brown shirt said, "Is that the point? The point is, that girl is his wife!"