Love Burned, She Rose Unscathed

It wasn't the first time they had teamed up.

Owen took charge of washing vegetables and doing the prep work, always on standby for any task thrown his way.

Roseanne, on the other hand, handled the chopping and cooking.

Before long, they had a hearty meal laid out on the table: two meats, two veggies, and a soup.

Taking their seats opposite each other, Owen served up a bowl of rice and passed it over to her first.

Roseanne accepted it with a smile, murmuring a thanks.

The awkward tension that had lingered seemed to dissipate, as if the embarrassing incident earlier had never happened.

After the meal, Owen, as usual, stepped into the kitchen to help clean up.

Roseanne took the dishes he handed her, drying each one with a towel before neatly stacking them away. Their rhythm together was seamless, organized. But then, when it came to taking out the trash-

Both Roseanne and Owen bent down to tie up the garbage bag at the same time, and their heads collided without warning.

"Ouch!"

Roseanne straightened up, clutching her forehead, grimacing in pain.

"I'm so sorry, I wasn't paying attention..." Owen apologized, immediately stepping closer. "Let me see how bad it is?"

Gently, he moved Roseanne's hand away to inspect the damage.

A patch the size of a thumbnail turned red on her forehead, but thankfully, it didn't seem swollen. It shouldn't be too bad.

"I'm sorry, I was just trying to take out the trash. Didn't expect to bump into you."

Roseanne shook her head. "It's okay. It doesn't hurt anymore."

Despite her words, her eyes were brimming with tears, and the corners reddened as if she was wronged.

Owen's guilt deepened.

"Uh... Mr. Reynolds, could you let go, please?"

He then realized his hand was still encircling her wrist.

"Sorry!"

He retracted his hand as if it was scorched, even stepping back a few paces.

Roseanne initially felt a bit embarrassed, but seeing his exaggerated reaction, she couldn't help but laugh out loud.

Owen too cracked a smile. "Is it really that funny?"

"Yep!"

He sighed, "Well, as long as you're happy..."

Saying so, he bent down again to secure the trash bag.

...

Owen's air conditioning was finally

fixed. The technician knocked on the door: "Mr. Reynolds, give it a try. If it's all good, we'll be on our way."

"Alright."

Owen changed his shoes, then placed the slippers back in the cabinet.

The technician chuckled, "You and the lady living door to door like this, it's quite convenient. You keep to yourselves, buried in research, note bothering each other. But when you want to visit, it's just a few steps away, always able to catch up. And look, one's air conditioning breaks down, you've got a backup right across."

"Cough!" Owen cleared his throat loudly, interrupting, "Let's go, check it out."

"Ah, right, right."

He didn't bother explaining his relationship with Roseanne to the technician.

It's not that he was up to something, but he just didn't see the point.

For one, no amount of explanation could likely change the technician's preconceptions; better to let it be.

For another, after today, they might never cross paths again, so there was no need for detailed explanations.

And lastly, the most important point.

At this moment, explaining that they weren't in a romantic relationship, what would it imply for a man to emerge from a single woman's home? Not explaining could potentially damage Roseanne's reputation even more.

In a scandal, men often receive more leniency and understanding than women, and society's standards for women are already harsh. This means women are more susceptible to baseless accusations and harm in matters of relationships.

Owen was well aware that he couldn't change these societal norms, but he could do his utmost to ensure Roseanne wasn't hurt. That was all he could do.

"The air conditioning's fine now, thanks for your hard work. The payment has been transferred to your account."

"Great, we'll be off then. Call us if you need anything else."

After seeing the technicians off, Owen turned to enter his apartment, just as the door opposite opened, revealing Roseanne with a smile. "Mr. Reynolds, is it fixed?"