?


    Roseanne slipped into her puffer jacket, grabbing the trash on her way out the door.


    Owen Reynolds emerged from his apartment with two hefty bags as well.


    "Professor, how long has it been since youst took out the trash?"


    Owen Reynolds hesitated, "...half a month?"


    Roseanne couldn''t help but think, So this is the real you, Professor.


    Luckily, it was mostly packaging and stic bags, nothing perishable like leftovers or fruit peels.


    "Let''s go."


    As they made their way downstairs, they bumped into the elderly couple from their building, hand in hand, having just disposed of their own trash. "Owen and Roseanne heading out to dump the trash as well?"


    "Yeah," Owen nodded in response.


    The elderlydy then turned to Roseanne with a gleeful smile, "What delightful dish did you cook today, Roseanne? We could smell something delicious all the way downstairs!"


    Roseanne replied, "Mushroom stew."


    "Ah! That must be the mushrooms Owen received yesterday?"


    Owen had run into the elderlydy while collecting his parcel, which happened to contain mushrooms, and asked her for some tips on keeping them fresh.


    Roseanne nodded.


    Thedy''s smile widened, "You two make a great team, one provides the ingredients, and the other cooks. It''s fate that you''re neighbors! You''re so familiar with each other, might as well make it official!"


    The elderly are known for their straightforwardness and boldness.


    Roseanne was taken aback, not fully grasping the implication until she heard Owen cough awkwardly, prompting her to quickly wave her hands in denial, "No, no, you''ve got it all wrong..."


    The olddy waved her off, "No need to exin, as long as you''re happy. Let''s go, dear, back home!"


    The old man chuckled, "Look at you, always stirring the pot. You''ve got Owen and Roseanne blushing now."


    "What''s there to stir? Remember, we


    met because we lived on different


    elhet


    floors too Back then, society was more conservative, and it took us two years to break through. Nowadays, society is much more open. It''s all about giving young people opportunities..."


    Their voices trailed off as they walked away.


    Roseanne''s cheeks were flushed.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    Owen didn''t know where to look.


    They descended the rest of the stairs in silence and disposed of their trash without a word.


    "|"


    "You-"


    They spoke at the same time, then paused andughed at the sudden synchrony.


    Roseanne remarked, "That couple is truly in love, a real-life example of growing old together, aren''t they?"


    Owen shared, "They''re both retired professors from Twilight Peak Academy''s astrophysics department. They never had children, just spent their lives supporting each other."


    "Really?" Roseanne was surprised.


    Although it was clear the couple was educated, she hadn''t expected them to be professors from Twilight Peak Academy, let alone in astrophysics.


    "But why no children?"


    UMS


    Owen unwrapped the scarf from around his neck and draped it over Roseanne, gesturing ahead with a nod, "How about a walk to digest our meal?"


    His movements were so natural, as if they''d done this countless times before, leaving no room for Roseanne to object.


    The light coffee-colored scarf wasn''t particrly long or thick, but it instantly warmed her skin, soft and smooth to the touch.


    Roseanne knew it was cashmere.


    Known as the "queen of fibers,"


    cashmere is both soft like wool and


    lustrous, like fur, its finest strands


    measuring between 18-19 microns,


    making it a highly prized and


    expensive material. Content belongs


    But that wasn''t the main point-the scarf, just removed from Owen''s neck, was not only warm but also carried his unique scent of woody fragrance.