Chapter 15 - Power Outage

Alberta also learned about Dylan's family grievances.

 

The two of them, sympathizing with each other's plight, seemed to grow closer.

 

They chatted until dawn, and only then did they begin to feel sleepy.

 

"Let's go, let's go to sleep!" Dylan stood up and said.

 

Alberta panicked a bit, wondering why it sounded like they were going to sleep together, and asked, "Um, which room do I sleep in?"

 

Dylan chuckled, "There are so many rooms, you can choose whichever you want! But I suggest you sleep on the third floor. 

 

The view is good, and we'll be close to each other. If you need anything, you can just call me."

 

Alberta blushed.

 

 Dylan's words always seemed to have ambiguous undertones. 

 

However, she still nodded in agreement, feeling that this arrangement would make her feel safer.

 

Dylan went down to the basement again to add more coal to the furnace. 

 

Then, he brought Alberta to the third floor and arranged her in the guest room next to the master bedroom, ensuring that the room was warm and draft-free before he felt comfortable returning to his own bedroom.

 

Checking his phone, it was already past 5 in the morning, and there was still signal. 

 

Taking advantage of this, Dylan opened a map app and downloaded a 3D map of Bluewater Bay and a mountain city in the southwest of the Dragon Kingdom.

 

After doing all this, he finally crawled into bed and fell asleep peacefully.

 

...

 

"Dong dong dong!"

 

Dylan was awakened by a knock on the door.

 

"Dylan, are you awake?" It was Alberta's voice.

 

 He checked the time and saw that it was already noon. 

 

He quickly got up and opened the door.

 

"What's wrong, Alberta?"

 

"Dylan, I made a pot of noodles. If you're hungry, come down and eat."

 

Dylan was pleasantly surprised, "You can cook?"

 

Alberta felt a bit embarrassed, "I can only cook instant noodles. I don't really know how to cook anything else."

 

Dylan sighed, realizing that he couldn't cook either. But with all the supplies he had, he had everything for a hot pot, including the ingredients.

 

"Alberta."

 

"Yes?"

 

"Do you want to have hot pot?"

 

Alberta widened her eyes in disbelief, "I see a lot of vegetables and meat in the fridge, do you have hot pot ingredients?"

 

Dylan chuckled, "Of course, on such a cold day, having hot pot will definitely be exciting! Let's go, we'll divide the tasks. You cook the soup base, and I'll prepare the ingredients, okay?"

 

Hot pot was Alberta's favorite, so she naturally agreed.

 

"That would be great!"

 

The two of them went downstairs, working swiftly. Soon, a sumptuous hot pot was laid out on the table.

 

Dylan brought out beer while Alberta took some drinks.

 

Outside, it was freezing cold, with countless people struggling on the brink of death.

 

Meanwhile, Dylan and Alberta were enjoying food and drinks in the warmth of the villa.

 

On the third night of the cold wave, the power went out.

 

The sudden darkness startled Alberta, who was sitting on the sofa in the bedroom listening to music.

 

She looked out the window and saw that all the lights in the villa area had gone out, leaving everything outside pitch black.

 

She got up in a hurry, leaning against the wall as she walked to the door to open it, subconsciously intending to find Dylan.

 

But just as she opened the door, she heard Dylan opening his door and stepping out."Is the power out?" Alberta asked.

 

"Yeah, don't worry, I'll go and turn on the generator," Dylan replied.

 

As Dylan was about to leave, Alberta's hand reached up and touched him, "Wait, do you have more clothes to wear? It's so cold outside!"

 

But when she felt Dylan, who was wrapped up like a ball, she couldn't help but laugh. Everything seemed to be prepared by him.

 

When she reached Dylan's neckline, she noticed that the zipper wasn't fully closed. She subconsciously pulled it tight, "Hurry back and stay safe!"

 

Dylan was taken aback. This feeling, it was so heartwarming. Since his mother's death, who had cared for him so tenderly?

 

Dylan suddenly grabbed Alberta's hand. It was soft and warm. Alberta seemed a bit flustered, but she didn't pull away.

 

"Don't worry, I'll be right back," Dylan said softly.

 

He went downstairs, opened the villa's side door, and a cold wind hit him. It was indeed freezing, and his face felt like it was being cut by a knife. He couldn't imagine how those without heating or electricity would survive.

 

He rushed into the generator room, which was relatively warm. It took some effort, but he managed to start the generator. Dylan felt relieved; luckily, there were no issues.

 

The lights in the villa came back on.

 

Dylan hurried back to the villa and opened the door, only to see Alberta anxiously waiting at the door.

 

"Are you okay? Did you get frostbite anywhere?" Alberta observed Dylan closely.

 

"Yeah, my hands are frozen!" Dylan pretended to be in great discomfort, wanting to tease Alberta.

 

"Ah? Let me see!" Alberta believed him and quickly grabbed Dylan's hand, examining it carefully.

 

Seeing Alberta's serious expression, Dylan burst into laughter, "But after you touched it like that, suddenly it doesn't hurt anymore."

 

Alberta turned around and saw Dylan's mischievous grin. She immediately let go of his hand, looking angry, "You liar, I'm ignoring you!"

 

With that, she turned to leave.

 

Dylan quickly grabbed her, jokingly saying, "Oh, don't be mad, it's just for fun. Otherwise, life would be so boring every day."

 

Alberta continued to ignore him.

 

"Are you tired? How about we watch a movie?" Dylan continued to coax her."Movies? But we don't have internet now, how can we watch?" Alberta asked.

 

"Haha, what can't I handle?" Dylan waved his hand, and suddenly there was a USB drive in his hand.

 

"Here, I bought this online before, there are a thousand high-definition movies inside, just pick one!" Dylan said.

 

Alberta became incredibly happy at once. She had been feeling bored for a while, and having a movie to watch was really great.

 

"Let's go, let's celebrate that we still have electricity by watching a movie!" Dylan exclaimed.

 

The two of them happily ran towards the private cinema on the basement floor.

 

In the following days, Dylan and Alberta ate, slept, watched movies, and played with the little crow coal balls.

 

The coal balls could already fly and didn't like staying in their cage, preferring to perch on Dylan's shoulder.

 

Their little eyes were always curious, staring at Dylan. Sometimes they would fly to Alberta's head and help her tidy her hair, often making her burst into laughter.

 

After spending so much time together, the little crows probably saw them as their parents.

 

The two of them, along with the little birds, lived happily in this warm villa.

 

On the ninth day, the wind outside finally stopped, but the sun was still nowhere to be seen.

 

After eight days of revelry, Dylan and Alberta gradually grew closer. After all, it's easy to develop feelings when a handsome man and a beautiful woman are in such an environment.

 

Moreover, Dylan not only had food and drink in abundance but also had a good appearance.

 

However, they began to worry about what to eat.

 

Eating hot pot, instant food, and snacks every day had made them lose interest. Alberta reminisced, "I miss the dishes from the owner of Cape Corner Restaurant, they were so good!"

 

She licked her lips and propped her chin, "Haha, I feel like if someone could bring me some dishes from Cape Corner Restaurant right now, I would definitely marry him!"

 

It was just a joke from Alberta, but Dylan, who was listening beside her, suddenly became energized.

 

Wait, was she saying that for my benefit?

 

Was she hinting at me?

 

I do have dishes from Cape Corner Restaurant in my space, 9 tables, untouched, and I even brought the tables.

 

This is a great opportunity to impress her!

 

Apart from Bonnie on the plane, Dylan hadn't touched a woman in a long time. He even traded once with a sausage during the apocalypse.