Chapter 133: Rat Creatures
Chapter 133: Rat Creatures
Anran leaves the house in a hurry, wrapping Doll securely in a carrier. As she walks downstairs, she spots Yun Tao driving a pickup truck into the community. She stands at the side of the road, waiting for him to stop.
The green pickup truck, though old and scratched, appears sturdy. Yun Tao is behind the wheel, dressed in a black security uniform. Liu Yuan sits in the passenger seat, holding Hengheng. When Liu Yuan sees Anran, she smiles and waves.
“You just go out? Brother Tao takes us for a quick walk and we’re back now.”
The street outside is mostly empty, with only the occasional zombie wandering by. Yun Tao quickly deals with them, and Liu Yuan, still holding Hengheng, doesn’t even have to leave the truck before they turn around and come back.
Yun Tao gets out of the driver’s seat, walks around the front of the truck, and approaches Anran. He glances briefly at her before his gaze softens as he looks at Doll, who is asleep in the sling. He reaches out gently and touches Doll’s head, then points to the truck bed.
“We go out to grab some diapers, formula, and water for Doll. Zombies outside seem to have more sensitive hearing these days. You’ve got a little one with you, so don’t wander out too much. If you need anything, come to me. Just take good care of Doll.”
His tone is firm, but the concern in his eyes is genuine.
Anran listens to his advice and looks at the truck bed, which is loaded with diapers, water, and formula. His words, though somewhat overbearing, don’t bother her as much this time. It feels more like the advice of an elder speaking to a younger generation. She nods, accepting his instructions.
Yun Tao then opens the passenger door, lifts Hengheng from the seat, and smiles at him.
“Come on, Dad will take you to play.”
Liu Yuan gets out of the car behind him, and as she watches Yun Tao carry Hengheng toward the security room, she points to the truck.
“Do you want me to help you move it upstairs?”
“No, I can do it myself,” Anran replies with a smile, shaking her head.
Liu Yuan nods and quickly follows Yun Tao and Hengheng, walking along the tree-lined avenue of the community. The three of them look like a real family, chatting and laughing together. It seems Liu Yuan and Yun Tao are trying hard to pretend they are a family.
Anran stands by the pickup truck, silently watching them as they walk away. The sight of the three of them—one adult and one child—strikes her unexpectedly.
She reaches down and gently touches Doll’s little head, then murmurs to herself: “Let’s go out and take a look. We can’t always rely on others, right?”
Just as she says this, the green bushes beside her rustle. Anran turns her head at the sound of a painful cry, only to see a large rat crawling into the bushes. Its fat rear end wobbles as its tail sways, and then it disappears deeper into the foliage, breaking off a few branches in its wake.
Anran freezes, her heart skipping a beat. The rat is enormous! She takes a couple of cautious steps back, her stomach churning with disgust.
“Ugh… rats are worse than zombies,” she mutters under her breath.
She doesn’t think to chase the rat into the bushes to deal with it. After all, what could she possibly do, chasing after a rat while carrying a child? No way. Shaking her head, Anran pushes the thought away, the nausea fading as quickly as it had come. It’s just a rat, and it has run off. Let it go.