18 Floors Above the Apocalypse

Chapter 214

Stella whipped out her phone to record a video, contemplating that it might be a valuable record if they survive this apocalypse.

Jasper hauled in a few more buckets of water. Stella dipped her hand in and sighed in relief; at least it was no longer scalding hot.

The long-awaited downpour didn’t cool the air but rather forced the underground heat to the surface.

Stella watched the torrential rain outside, her body drenched in sweat from the heat. This sensation was even more unbearable than the simple extreme heat. She felt like a barbecued chicken ready to be tossed into the smoker, just a few minutes away from being perfectly cooked.

She couldn’t stand it, so she switched on the air conditioning to preserve her sanity.

After washing her face, which was not scalded by the boiling rain but still flushed red, Stella applied a luxurious facial mask and offered one to Jasper, “Want one?”

Jasper showed no interest in the feminine skincare routine, “No, thanks.”

She lifted her gaze to his face; his skin did not appear to have suffered any redness, probably due to its thickness.

She returned to her room and unknowingly, drifted off to sleep.

She was awakened by Rosie’s laughter, “A rainbow, look, it's a rainbow!”

Stella threw open the window. The rain had stopped, and a brilliant rainbow hung in the sky. The post-apocalyptic rainbow was incredibly beautiful.

Stella couldn’t resist stepping out onto the terrace to admire the seven-colored arc hanging in the sky.

The sky was clear and the rainbow bridge emitted a captivating glow. If only she didn’t look down to see the desolate and barren earth, it almost didn't feel like the end of the world.

She snapped a few photos, and Rosie, hugging the dog, struck a pose, “Take a picture with the rainbow, Stella.” Content protected by Nôv/el(D)rama.Org.

Solo shots, group shots, family portraits – they covered all bases.

Jasper did not slack off; he collected a lot of rainwater and stored it in Arcadia.

After taking a shower, he found Rosie asleep on the sofa and couldn’t help but worry, “Stella, when will Rosie fully recover?”

After a few days of rest, Rosie's condition had improved significantly, but the concussion was a different story. Some took days, some months, and some even years to recover, and some might even have lifelong complications.

Stella didn’t want Jasper to worry too much, so she reassured, “She's much better now, and she just needs more rest.”

She planned to bring out a piece of lamb to simmer it with ginger and give Rosie a nutritious meal. Their building was far from the others, and the soup she made was light, so there was no smell with the door closed.

Jasper was a man of action. When Stella mentioned renovations, he jumped right into it. However, neither of them had any experience in renovations.

Stella sifted through the massive amount of documents she had downloaded before the apocalypse and found a book on home renovation.

Jasper flipped through the book, “Do we need to install tiles?”

They had hoarded a fair amount of tiles, but felt it was unnecessary to use them for a house they would only live in for a year, especially since the materials couldn't be recycled. “We can just smooth it out with cement. What do you think?”

Jasper had no objections, “Okay.”

They first mixed sand and lime uniformly, smoothed out the floor and then applied a layer of fine cement. The walls were smoothed out with lime.

They had sand on the roof, and cement, lime, waterproof paint and all the necessary renovation tools like a mixer, scraper, trowel, and angle fixer were stashed in Arcadia.

Every time Stella visited the trading street, she would bring back tools she thought they might need. Over the course of two years, they had collected quite a few.

And so, they started their renovation work in the small balcony.

Stella wanted to help, but Jasper refused, “You’ve been working hard on the cornfield recently. I can handle this.”

He didn’t want her to get dirty, and besides, the tasks were not heavy, and he could use this opportunity to learn and practice.

Stella didn’t have any talent in this area, so she didn’t interfere. She helped by adding water to the mixture and such.

After the heavy rain, they had the perfect excuse not to leave the house and focused on the renovation.

Surprisingly, Jasper quickly picked up the skills. The floor was perfectly leveled, especially after the cement layer was smoothed out with a steel trowel. He repeated the process three times until the floor was as shiny as a mirror.

This was a task that required patience and skill, and Stella admitted she didn’t have either. All she could do was reward him with the delicious food she had hoarded.

“Here’s to our home, and your hard work.”

She had recently read a lifestyle magazine that suggested good men were made through compliments, so Stella didn’t hold back her praises. Besides, his work was truly impeccable.

Jasper looked at her with his meaningful gazes and chuckled. Stella felt a little awkward and quickly took a sip of her wine.

After four to five days, the basic renovation of the house was finally completed. The gray floor and white walls looked plain and simple but in the post-apocalyptic world, it was a luxury. Jasper even hauled red bricks from the fourth building to build a stove in the kitchen.

Stella took out some rice, flour, oil and grain, a gas cylinder, gas stove, pots and pans, and other necessities.

After all the work was done, they even held a housewarming ceremony. Even though they had plenty of food and drink, they needed to keep busy even if they were cooped up at home.

Stella brought out everyone's favorite dishes from Arcadia. The portions were not large, as wasting food in the post-apocalyptic world was a sin.

After their housewarming meal, they had a second round of barbecue and beer.

Rosie, munching on food, patted her belly contentedly, “I’m so lucky to have you both.”

While others were gnawing on sweet potato vines, she was feasting on delicacies thanks to her brother and Stella.

“Woof!” echoed Cooper, its mouth shiny from the oil.

They drank a bit too much to celebrate their new home.

Stella sat on the bed after a shower, a little tipsy from the alcohol. Jasper walked in, drying his hair. He was dressed in a loose sleeping gown, his long, straight legs exposed below his shorts. His smooth muscle lines were aesthetically pleasing, filled with powerful energy.

Stella sneaked a glance, and then another.

Feeling her gaze, Jasper walked over and kissed her. After a while, he broke off the kiss and asked in a husky voice, “Is this okay?”

Stella didn’t respond with words; she answered him with actions.

“Wait.” Jasper suddenly pushed her away, closed and locked the door to prevent any sudden interruptions. They left the bedside lamp on, casting a dim light on their intertwined figures.

Jasper reached into the bedside table and pulled something out. When Stella realized what he was holding, she was surprised, “How do you have that?”

Jasper explained, “When the hurricane hit, I looted a pharmacy. I thought it could be used for water retention and warmth, so I took it.”

He never thought that one day, he would be using it for the right reasons.

Stella frowned, “You handed over all your other supplies, why did you keep this?”

Jasper wore an uneasy expression, "I'm afraid you might misunderstand."

Stella was relentless, "How much?"

Her incessant chatter was spoiling the mood. Instead of answering, Jasper leaned down to silence her with a kiss.