Holly Winslow snuggled in her husband's arms, looking at the English textbook in her hands. She suddenly sighed and said sullenly, "Honey, if only I could go back to high school. I'd definitely study hard and get into a good university."
Hearing this, Mortimer Quincy placed the divorce case file in his hands on the table and looked down at his wife's fair cheeks. "What's wrong? Did someone bully you?" he asked, pulling the English textbook from her hands.
Holly Winslow shook her head. "I wasn't bullied. A while back, the principal said that whoever's class got the best grades would be named Teacher of the Year."
"My class scored the best this time, but the principal called me into his office today. He kept hinting that my academic background isn't good enough and that it wouldn't look good on the display board."
"He gave me a two-thousand-yuan reward, and the Teacher of the Year award went to someone else."
"It's not like I'm short on money. I poured my heart and soul into my class, so why can't I be the Teacher of the Year? Is it so shameful to have earned a bachelor's after a vocational degree? It should be seen as inspiring!" Towards the end, her voice was tinged with discontent and a sense of injustice.
Her scores on the college entrance exam had been terrible, and she'd barely scraped into a vocational college. It was only after meeting Mortimer Quincy that she found the motivation to push herself. She earned a bachelor's degree, got her teaching certificate, and eventually became a high school English teacher.
Mortimer Quincy lowered his head and kissed her forehead, his voice gentle and coaxing. "He's the one who doesn't understand. What you did *is* inspiring."
'When I first met Holly,' he thought, 'well, her grades were a complete disaster. For her to have earned a bachelor's and become a teacher... that really is inspiring.'
He tightened his embrace, pulling her up a bit. "How about you just stay home and relax?" he added. "You can live off my money, eat and drink to your heart's content, and while you're at it, maybe have a baby for us to dote on."
They were both in their late twenties, around twenty-seven or twenty-eight. It really was about time for them to have a child.
A blush crept onto Holly Winslow's face. "Honey, are you trying to become my sugar daddy?"
"I've wanted to for a long time. It's my wife who's never given me the chance."
Mortimer Quincy stood up, lifting her into his arms, and carried her into the bedroom.
Soon, the room was filled with sounds not meant for children.
...
"Holly, the teacher's here! Holly!" someone whispered, nudging her with growing urgency.
"Honey, don't mess with me... let me sleep a little more," Holly Winslow mumbled drowsily.
The classroom was dead silent, so everyone heard her words. "Honey, don't mess with me... let me sleep a little more." The class instantly erupted in laughter.
Seeing that the chemistry teacher's face had gone livid, Anna Willow nudged Holly again. "Holly, Holly, wake up!"
The chemistry teacher, Vivian Sheffield, was about to explode with rage. 'Talking about a "husband" when she's only in her teens! What a disgrace!'
She slammed her hand hard on Holly Winslow's desk. "Holly Winslow, if you want to sleep, get out of my classroom!"
Holly Winslow was jolted awake. Her dazed expression sharpened into clarity, then morphed into astonishment. "Teacher Sheffield?"
'I must have been so worked up that my mind is playing tricks on me,' she thought. 'To think I'd dream about high school.'
'And looking at the chemistry teacher's livid expression... this dream feels way too real.'
"Get out and stand in the hall," Vivian Sheffield ordered, her voice harsh as she pointed to the doorway.
Standing outside the classroom of Class Eight, Holly Winslow stared at the familiar yet alien school grounds. It slowly dawned on her that this didn't feel like a dream.
She immediately pinched her own arm. "Ouch!" It hurt.
'Can you feel pain in a dream?'
Her expression changed drastically. 'Have I gone back to high school?'
'Or... did I just have a long dream about the next ten years?'
But Mortimer Quincy was so vivid in her mind. She even knew the location of every mole on his body.
Her mind was a complete muddle until class ended. Then, she was summoned to the office by Vivian Sheffield for a scolding.
"Holly Winslow! If you're just going to come to school and not study, you might as well not come at all! Don't poison the learning environment for the rest of the class." Vivian Sheffield clearly couldn't stand her.
It wasn't just her; several of her teachers couldn't stand her.
Because the current Holly Winslow was, frankly, a pain. She slept in class, read novels, and consistently ranked in the bottom ten.
The old Holly might have pouted and pretended not to care, but this time, Holly Winslow gave a slight bow and meekly apologized. "Teacher Sheffield, I was wrong. I won't sleep in class again."
Since she had admitted her fault, Vivian Sheffield couldn't press the matter. She sighed and spoke earnestly, "Hurry back to class. Don't let this happen again. Study hard. You're only a sophomore; there's still time to turn things around. Everything I'm saying is for your own good. After you graduate and enter the workforce, you'll understand that your teachers meant well."
She added as a final thought, "And read fewer of those trashy novels. They're not doing you any good."
Remembering her "honey" comment, Holly Winslow looked a bit awkward. "Thank you for your guidance, Teacher."
Back in the classroom, Anna Willow leaned over, her face full of apology. "Holly, are you okay? I tried calling you, but you wouldn't wake up."
"I'm fine."
Holly Winslow's seat was by the window. She glanced down at the fallen leaves scattered beneath the large tree below.
'It's the first semester of my sophomore year.'
Someone from behind tapped her on the back. A girl's voice asked, "Holly, are you okay?"
Just as Holly was about to say she was fine, the classroom's PA system came on.
"Students, the class bell has rung. Please return to your classrooms and prepare for class to begin..."
The next class was second period—math.
Her math teacher, David Lewis, stood at the front of the class and glanced at Holly Winslow several times. For the entire period, she listened attentively.
He picked up his book and walked off the podium as he lectured, taking a good, long look at Holly. She was dutifully taking notes.
'Now that's a rare sight.'
「After class, in the teachers' office.」
David Lewis took a sip of tea to wet his throat and said with a laugh to the other teachers, "That Holly Winslow kid really gave me a start today. She was actually listening to the lecture and taking notes."
Vivian Sheffield, returning with her textbooks, happened to overhear him. Feeling a little gratified that Holly had taken her words to heart, she explained, "I gave her a good scolding last period."
"You're the impressive one, Teacher Sheffield. I've lectured her several times before, but she just goes right back to sleep. I'm at my wit's end with her." David Lewis shook his head in resignation.
...
Morning classes ended, and it was time for lunch.
Holly Winslow sat at a lunch table with the two girls she was friendly with.
Iris Kensington couldn't resist gossiping as she ate. "Holly, what on earth were you dreaming about in class? 'Honey'? I nearly died laughing."
Girls of sixteen or seventeen were at the perfect age for gossip.
Holly Winslow looked listless, poking her food absently with her spoon.
'Sigh... I miss Mortimer.'
'If this isn't a dream, then the Mortimer of this time should be at Jarton High, the best high school in Jarton County.'
'And I'm at Jarton Second High, which is just average.'
Seeing her silence, Iris Kensington took a closer look at her. "Holly, what's up? Why so quiet? Are you not feeling well? Is it that time of the month?"
Holly Winslow snapped out of it and shook her head. "No, I was just thinking about my husband from the dream. He's super handsome and super sweet." She said the last part with a touch of pride.
Iris Kensington and Anna Willow immediately burst out laughing, almost spraying food everywhere.
...
After eating, the girls queued up to wash their dishes, then headed back to the classroom.
On the way, they passed two girls coming from the opposite direction, likely heading to the restroom.
"Whoa, there's a cute guy by the door to Class Eight. He's so tall and fair-skinned, like a character from a manga."
Iris Kensington's eyes lit up. She loved checking out cute guys. "I wonder whose older brother is visiting this time. Holly, Anna, walk faster, or we'll miss him!"
The old Holly would have loved to look, too, but right now, she couldn't summon the energy. 'I feel like I'm twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old,' she thought.
"You guys go back to the classroom first. I'll catch up."
......