On their silent journey back home, Owen Reynolds dropped her off at the door and, recalling the earlier awkward moment, attempted to exin, "Adah''s


    harmless, really. She just loves her gossip."


    Roseanne just blinked at him. "..."


    Sometimes exnations only made things worse.


    Thankfully, she didn''t let that little episode bother her too much.


    That night, Roseanne followed Mr. Carter''s advice to the letter. She carefully applied the ointment, avoiding any water contact, and before bed, she used the massage technique Mr. Carter had shown her on some key points on her thigh.


    By morning, when she peeled off the patch, she pressed her leg tentatively. Amazingly, there was no pain at all!


    Thrilled, she dashed next door and knocked. As Owen Reynolds opened the door, she eximed, "Carter''s ointment worked like magic! Just overnight, and my foot''s no longer swollen. I could jump around and it wouldn''t hurt a bit!"


    To prove her point, she started to bounce on the spot, but Owen Reynolds gently ced a hand on her shoulder. "I believe you, no need to prove it. But remember, the old man said you shouldn''t stand for too long or put too much pressure on the injured area."


    Roseanne nodded, meeting his amused gaze. Realizing how childish she''d been, she sheepishly rubbed her nose.


    Owen Reynolds couldn''t help but smile at her bashful gesture...


    By mid-January, the school''s finals had rolled around.


    The exam week stretched over seven days, though Roseanne didn''t have tests every single day. Whenever she wasn''t taking exams, she was holed up in theb.


    Once finals were over, winter break officially began.


    However, break didn''t mean much to Roseanne. Her routine barely changed, still leaving early and returningte.


    The main difference was now she didn''t have to attend sses, so her daily path shifted from a triangle of locations to a simple back-and-forth between home and theb.


    Mamie remarked, "Roseanne, aren''t you going to take a breather now that finals are done? Maybe rx a bit?"


    "Nope, I''m nning to wrap up this phase of my research and hopefully start the next before New Year''s."


    Mamie sighed, "You''re such a workaholic. I was hoping we could do a little road trip around Lumina City before the New Year!"


    "You can go, the data on your end isn''t urgent."


    "But if Caley and I go, you''ll be stuck in theb alone. I''d feel guilty..."


    "Don''t worry about it, I''m fine solo. Oh, is Scales joining too?"


    "Yeah, he volunteered to be our guide. And he''s doing it for free, can''t pass that up!"


    "Have fun then."


    "We haven''t decided yet! Even if we go, it won''t be right away. I have to catch up on some progress first... And there''s still so much to do. Might not even have the time in the end..."


    When the weatherman announced a new cold front was heading for the Midwest, Roseanne felt grateful she''d bought her car in advance. She was even more thankful for Owen Reynolds, who, every weekend he could, helped her practice driving.


    5


    With his patient teaching and her quick learning, she was soon confidently driving


    herself between home and theb.


    Hermute time was drastically cut, and thefort level soared.


    If there was one downside, it was how early night fell. By the time Roseanne wrapped up her


    experiments and drove home,


    darkness had already settled in at


    the roads outside the city were nearly deserted.