Reborn with My Genius Husband-Chapter 143: Holly, Does Cousin Have a Lot of Leg Hair?
When she got home, she found Wyatt Winslow was there. The table was laden with fruit and snacks. She put down her schoolbag, picked up an apple, and started munching on it. "This is so sweet! Dad, our final exam results are out."
"I got the last math problem right on my first try, but I changed the answer when I was double-checking and got it wrong."
"I shouldn’t have changed it."
She whined to Wyatt Winslow like a seven-year-old.
Wyatt Winslow had already heard about Holly Winslow’s mid-term grades from Gabe Chaucer. "Just be more careful next time." As he spoke, he sized her up. She must have hit a growth spurt; she was a little thinner than before but had grown taller.
’She’s a young lady now,’ he thought.
’In a few more years...’
He pressed his lips together, a complicated emotion flickering in his eyes before he returned to normal. "I didn’t buy any groceries, so we’re eating out tonight. What are you in the mood for?"
Of course, Holly Winslow knew he was just looking for an excuse to take her out. She sat down next to him, giggling. "Dad, I want hot pot."
Wyatt Winslow’s gaze dropped to the newspaper on the table. He nodded. "Ask him to join us."
"Okay."
Holly Winslow went out to the balcony to call Mortimer Quincy. Soon after, Mortimer arrived at the Winslows’ home, carrying some wine and health supplements.
Wyatt Winslow glanced at him. "You don’t have to bring gifts next time."
Mortimer Quincy replied respectfully, "Okay."
Seeing him sitting there so prim and proper, Holly Winslow couldn’t help but laugh. ’Only Dad can keep Scholar Quincy in line.’
As luck would have it, just as the three of them were leaving the Andor Community, Brooke Jarvis and Andre Quincy happened to be pulling into a parking spot on the street.
Their eyes met. It was an impromptu meeting of the in-laws.
Holly Winslow felt a little awkward.
Andre Quincy, ever the businessman, was the first to react. He extended a hand. "Mr. Winslow."
"Mr. Quincy." Wyatt Winslow returned the handshake politely.
After exchanging a few pleasantries, Brooke Jarvis learned they were on their way to dinner. Her eyes swept over Mortimer Quincy and Holly Winslow, and she smiled, looking at Wyatt. "Why don’t we all eat together?"
Naturally, Wyatt Winslow couldn’t refuse.
The hot pot restaurant wasn’t far, so the five of them walked over. Andre Quincy and Wyatt Winslow made small talk, Brooke Jarvis chatted with Holly Winslow, and Mortimer Quincy found himself the odd one out.
This wasn’t the first time this had happened, and he was already used to it.
’This is exactly why I’m never bringing my wife home for the holidays,’ he mused. ’The moment we get there, I probably won’t see her for the entire week. I’ll never understand how she gets along so well with every aunt and distant cousin under the sun.’
This was the first time the parents from both families had met. Aside from some initial awkwardness, the atmosphere was quite pleasant.
The fact that their children were dating was a truth they all tacitly accepted.
Holly Winslow focused on eating while Mortimer Quincy placed food onto her plate. Wyatt Winslow noticed and glanced at Brooke Jarvis and Andre Quincy. He pressed his lips together. "Holly, get your own food."
Holly Winslow nodded obediently.
But Mortimer Quincy kept putting food on her plate anyway.
Brooke Jarvis chuckled. "Dad Winslow, let’s not be so formal."
She turned to Holly. "Holly, if there’s anything you want, just have Moira grab it for you. Girls have such delicate skin; you have to be careful not to get burned."
Mortimer Quincy was speechless.
’My own mother is playing favorites,’ he thought.
’I’m used to it by now.’
Holly Winslow gave a smug little nod. She must have gotten carried away, because she blurted out, "Thanks, Mom."
Silence fell for a few seconds.
Mortimer Quincy was the first to let out a low chuckle. ’My wife calling her "Mom" definitely deserves a five-star review,’ he thought.
He glanced at his father-in-law’s expression but couldn’t detect any change.
Brooke Jarvis and Andre Quincy just smiled, taking it in stride.
Holly Winslow peeked cautiously in her father’s direction, then rubbed her nose and pretended nothing had happened. She hunched her shoulders and went back to eating.
Aside from that brief moment of awkwardness, the rest of the dinner went well. Andre Quincy and Wyatt Winslow even exchanged contact information.
Holly Winslow expected her father to lecture her at some point, but he hadn’t said a word about it by the time she went to bed.
「The Next Day」
Just as Holly Winslow was about to head out for some shopping, Anna Willow and Iris Kensington suddenly ambushed her at her door.
Valerie Walsh and her friends were already waiting for her on Coridia Street, and she felt too bad to cancel. So, she just let Valerie’s group know, and they all decided to shop together.
Anna Willow and Iris Kensington had already heard about Holly’s new friendship with Valerie Walsh, and they weren’t upset about it. Their motto was simple: wherever Holly went, they would go. They would never abandon their "Little Fairy’s" clique.
Anna and Iris’s "tough girl" reputations had already made a bit of an impression on Valerie Walsh and her friends.
The initial meeting was a little awkward.
Anna Willow waved a hand in greeting. "Hey, everyone. I’m Anna, and this is Ellie."
She paused, then added with a grin in a low voice, "We’re not actually as tough as we look, so don’t be scared."
Her comment broke the ice, and everyone laughed. Holly Winslow couldn’t resist pinching her arm. "What do you mean? You totally act like one."
"Holly’s the tough one, not me," Anna Willow said, laughing as she tickled her back.
Valerie Walsh replied sweetly, "Hi, I’m Val. These are my good friends, Jade and Lynn."
Since they were all the same age, they hit it off right away.
The six of them shopped their way from one street to the next until their legs grew tired, and they found a milk tea shop to take a break in.
When girls get together, the conversation inevitably turns to romance. It started off normal enough, but then the topic veered off course, all the way to the subject of guys’ leg hair.
The theory being: the more leg hair, the stronger the... you-know-what.
Anna Willow suddenly wiggled her eyebrows at Holly Winslow, a mischievous look on her face. "Holly, does Mortimer have a lot of leg hair?"
Holly Winslow was speechless.
She choked out a sharp cough. If she’d had any milk tea in her mouth, she would have spat it all over Anna’s face.
"It’s not like I’ve counted them," she said, flustered.
Anna Willow and Iris Kensington burst out laughing, and Valerie Walsh’s group giggled along with them.
Iris Kensington leaned in with a sly grin. "We’re not asking for an exact number, just a general ’a lot’ or ’a little’?"
Holly Winslow was at a loss for words.
She looked at Iris Kensington and fired back, "Does Chris Chaucer have a lot of leg hair?"
Iris Kensington blushed. "Ahem. About average."
Then she quickly passed the hot potato to Valerie Walsh. "Val, what about your boyfriend?"
Valerie Walsh had fair skin, which made her blush all the more obvious. She shyly squeezed out two words: "They’re fine."
A collective "Ooooh" went through the group, and Valerie Walsh’s face turned an even deeper shade of red.
But Anna Willow wasn’t about to let Holly Winslow off the hook. "Holly, you still haven’t said whether Mortimer has a lot of leg hair or not."
Holly Winslow fell silent.
"About average, I guess," she said humbly.
"I don’t believe it. Mortimer looks like he’d be... very capable," Anna Willow said with a sly snicker.
Holly Winslow coughed. "How would I know? I..." She trailed off. She hadn’t tried it, after all.
Except... she had.
Seeing her trail off mid-sentence, Iris Kensington reached out and poked her. "Holly, you’re not being honest!"
...
That evening, Mortimer Quincy got a call from his "wife." Before he could even begin to call her out for her "evil deeds" from earlier, he heard her say, "Honey, you should shave your leg hair."
Mortimer Quincy was speechless.
He raised an eyebrow. He didn’t need to think to know this was the result of another one of her group chats. "Sweetheart, what do you have against my leg hair?"
Holly Winslow rubbed her nose. "They’re not pretty."
"I’ll be waiting for you at the basketball court." With that, Mortimer Quincy hung up.
Holly Winslow was left speechless.
She told her dad where she was going and headed to the basketball court, where a few people were playing a game.
Mortimer Quincy was sitting on a bench not far away, dressed in a white t-shirt and gray casual pants. His face was turned slightly to the side, his jaw forming a handsome line.
Holly Winslow ran over and sat down beside him. Before she could say a word, something was thrust into her hand.
The next moment, Mortimer Quincy lifted his pant leg, revealing a hairy calf. "Go on, shave it."
