Chapter 17 - Great-Grandparent?

"Oh my god, even your marking is similar to la Trexa!!!" he gently tugged the rat closer and took it in his arm. Nibbling on a piece of cake, the rat easily allowed his prodding. "My lord, is this a coincidence!!! Is it you, my baby la Trexa? Did you come back in time as well!!!"

The rat confusedly looked up at him, licking the cream left over on its lips.

Zou's expectation lowered a bit. If it was were his own la Trexa, she would have crawled all over his body with the piece of cake making a total mess out of him. This little one seemed tamer and calm then his baby child. "Maybe….. Maybe you are la Trexa's great-grandmother or something."

With a sigh, he glanced at it. "Hey little fellow, do you have an owner," he searched for any signs and he noticed a small metal ring on its leg. It said subject 0. "Subject!!! Were they testing on you? My poor little rat." he gently caressed its head.

The rat nudged against his finger and smeared some cream on it.

Chuckling, Zou Yue wiped the cream off. "You are surprisingly similar to me la Trexa, all right. You know what? Why don't you come with me? I can provide you with all the food you would ever want."

The rat's ears perked. It dropped the piece of cake on his palm and excitedly looked at him with its shimmering black eyes.

"You willing?"

The rat nodded.

"Did you just nod!!!" Zou Yue exclaimed all of a sudden. This was not a normal behaviour for a rat. He knew that rats were intelligent and very kind, but this little rat seems smarter than any normal ones he had ever met before the apocalypse.

"Even my la Trexa was smart. She used to nod like that. Now I'm pretty sure of it you are my la Trexa's ancestor."

The rat tilted its head.

Zou shook the thought of his beloved. "It's getting late. Let's go to our new home." he picked her up and placed her insides in the pocked of his hoodie.

The rat peaked out and held tightly onto the corner of the pocket.

Zou placed a gentle hand on the opening with just a right space of the rat to enjoy the view. "don't worry, I won't let you fall,"

The rat nuzzled against his hand and licked the spot it bit previously.

"You would make a great companion for my baby Trexa in the future...." But he suddenly remembered that rat's only live for maximum of two years. He sighed. "Sorry, kid, I hyped up la Trexa so much but you won't get the chance to meet her. Because she isn't supposed to be born for at least eight years later,"

He happily backtracked his way over to a pet store to get to the enclosure for the rat.

"Which one do you like," Zou gently caressed its chin.

The rat sneezed and scratched her nose a little. Its beady eyes then focused on the small enclosures and large enclosures in front of it.

"You can choose whatever you like,"

The store assistant ran to him with a broad smile on her face. "Welcome young lad, if you are searching for an enclosure for your feeding rat you should choose this." she handed him a small cage the size of a watermelon. Its bars were made crudely and it was not that spacious.

Zou gave it back to her. "She is not a feeding rat, nor is she my pet. This little one is my new friend."

The rat cheerfully nuzzled against his cheeks.

The shop assistant nodded and showed him bigger enclosure.

The little grey ran got down from his shoulders and climbed over each of the enclosures. It walked in and tested the hanging hammock inside. It jumped and jumped and ran out with a disappointed look.

"Didn't like it? Why don't you check this one out," Zou gestured to the huge bird enclosure. It was as tall as him and spacious, too. He cupped the rat in his palm and let her inside.

The rat completely checked it and nodded to him with an excited expression.

"We shall be taking this," he said with a cheerful smile to the shop assistant.

The young girl blushed and nodded. "I shall send it to your address in a day's time." she dashed to the counter and brought back a small tissue. "umm..... Here is my number. Please message me if you need any more products, I shall give you a discount,"

Zou nodded and pocketed the number. As he was walking out he picked out the shop's card and number on it. After leaving the shop, he subtly crumbled the paper. "Did you see that, she was flirting with me, little rat,"

The rat nodded, wiping at her whiskers.

"Sadly, I won't have time for a relationship." He gave the paper to the rat to play. "Meanwhile, we have to get this tag off of you. I hope dad has his old pliers and drills with him.

He ran back home before the sun went down, swinging his plastic bag around. Even the little rat loved the wind gushing through its little fur.

"Isn't this awesome? Sadly all of this will come to an end...." he mumbled as he entered his house.

His mother ran up to him and took the heavy arrow bag from his shoulders and took the plastic bag as well. "You are back so late. I will reheat the food." she chided, and pulled him in.

"Where is that brat?" his father loudly shouted from the dining table.

"Brat is here," Zou happily ran in and stop opposite him. "Oh I smell chicken!!"

"Yes, I made some braised chicken breast and your favourite fried chicken," his mum happily gave him a bowl full of hot rice.

"Thank you mum, love you so much," he cheerfully took it and kissed her cheeks.

"Oh you silly boy, eat.. eat," she subtly wiped her tears away and placed a plate full of fried chicken in front of him. "Put on some weight. Look at how bony you are."

"I am right? I am definitely going to eat and gain as much weight as I can," he cheerfully chuckled and took a bite out of the fried chicken. "mnnn it so good,"

"Boy, stop talking and eat," his father glared at him.

With an apologetic smile, he ate it with gusto.

After the scrumptious meal, he went over to take a bath with the little rat with him. He feared that his mother would not like the dirty rat, so he tried to make her as presentable as possible before introducing her to his parents.

While he was bathing he noticed a small black oozing mark on his finger tip.

It was the place the rat had bitten.