POLAR BEAR ARC CHAPTER 17

The relatively dry sea breeze hardened the surface of the whale meat, making it tough on the outside and tender on the inside, giving it a jerky-like texture. It had a unique taste.

Jerky? Qiao Qixi's eyes suddenly widened as he had a bold idea. Since they couldn't finish the whale meat, could they tear it into pieces and dry it, making it into convenient and storable whale jerky?

It seemed feasible.

Unlike the somewhat timid bear family of three, Qiao Qixi and Otis weren't afraid. Their imposing presence alone intimidated many other polar bears. Even though some of the larger bears eyed them warily, they didn't dare to make a move.

Otis didn't even bother glancing at the other polar bears. He occupied their previous eating spot and was in charge of passing the meat. Since he wasn't too hungry this time, he ate with much more grace, not wolfing down his food. He assumed Qiao Qixi was hungry and had dragged him over to eat.

But that wasn't the case.

Qiao Qixi used his little yellow bucket to transport pieces of whale meat, placing them on a nearby flat rock to dry. All the other polar bears were gathered around the whale, so there weren't any thieves to steal his private stash.

Under the drone's camera, the little round and agile bear was seen busily moving back and forth on the beach, exuding a hardworking and industrious spirit. People watching were shocked and incredulous when they saw the cub spreading the meat on the rock.

This was a behavior indicative of storing food, something polar bears typically didn't do. While many animals, like squirrels, bees, and even alligators, had the instinct to store food, polar bears did not. They usually didn't store food for more than two days. Maybe the cub would finish his stash within two days, which would be considered normal.

People decided to keep observing.

Otis had an enormous appetite. In truth, the food Qiao Qixi was transporting was just a small portion. Qiao Qixi simply wanted to make some different snacks for himself and wasn't even sure if Otis would like them.

Speaking of Otis, he also noticed the cub's odd behavior. As usual, he didn't understand it but didn't comment. Maybe the cub had invented a new game, and he was happy to go along as long as Qiao Qixi was happy.

Besides, he had nothing else to do. Apart from eating and sleeping, Otis had plenty of free time, just like when he was a bachelor, spending his days full and well-rested, often idly wandering around.

In winter, he would wander on the ice or find a good vantage point to doze and enjoy the wind for half a day. In summer, he preferred not to move. If he could find a cool place to hide, he would hardly come out.

Since having the cub, his life had changed quite a bit. This summer, there would be fewer chances to laze around. Gone were the days when he could close his eyes and three months would pass in a blink. The energetic and lively cub could only sleep for a few hours at a time.

Having eaten his fill, Otis licked his sharp teeth and continued to extract meat until Qiao Qixi was tired of his 'game.'

Playing with food wasn't allowed by mother bears. For example, the cubs next door didn't have that luxury. Their mother would urge them to finish eating quickly and then lead them to a safe place to rest.

Driven by the intimidation from other bears, the mother bear reluctantly brought her cubs to a spot near where Otis had taken over. The sight of a larger, stronger male polar bear startled her, filling her with fear.

But the next second, she saw the foolish cub with the little bucket, seemingly disturbed by their sudden appearance, freezing mid-step and turning to look at them.

A... cub?

Round and chubby, not exactly small, but still young compared to an adult bear, it was indeed an immature bear.

Were they together?

A male bear with a cub!

The mother bear was confused and bewildered. But one thing was certain: the presence of a cub significantly lowered her guard. They were all guardians, after all. There was no need to harm each other.

Realizing why the mother bear had brought her cubs over, Qiao Qixi rubbed against the wary Otis, even going so far as to act cute and make adorable sounds to soften his fierce demeanor.

Normally, Qiao Qixi rarely did this, only making a few noises to express happiness. But today, he was not just happy; he was excited.

Otis licked the little bear affectionately. His attention was instantly diverted, and his fierce aura softened.

He was only wary of the mother bear because he disliked unfamiliar polar bears getting too close and wanted to ensure Qiao Qixi's safety. Seeing that Qiao Qixi wasn't afraid of the mother bear and even seemed happy, Otis decided to let it go, merely casting a warning glance.

When the mother bear saw the male bear licking the cub, she was sure they were together. A male bear raising a cub—this was good. Amid her confusion, the mother bear felt a sense of reassurance.

Everyone was here for their cubs.

Once she was sure she wouldn't be driven away or harmed, the mother bear eagerly started tearing at the whale's skin. The two cubs at her feet, like Qiao Qixi earlier, stood up with their little paws, eagerly waiting for food.

Qiao Qixi was much luckier. He got to eat alone every meal and always ate his fill. The two cub brothers could only share a piece of meat, and their mother, probably a novice, didn't help them tear it apart, eating happily by herself.

After watching the bear family for a while, Qiao Qixi resumed transporting whale meat, worried that some bear might steal his stash if he dawdled too long.

However, no bear touched his meat. Instead, a bold seagull was eyeing it, waiting for an opportunity to strike.

Qiao Qixi wouldn't give it a chance. After moving the last batch, he sat there, determined not to leave.

He wasn't about to hand over his hard-earned bounty to a gull.

Otis, waiting nearby, stretched his neck to look for the cub when he didn't return. Seeing Qiao Qixi tussling with a gull on the rock, Otis abandoned everything and rushed over to help.

The seagull, hearing the bear's roar, fled in panic, disappearing from sight.

For the rest of the time, the little bear and the big bear lay together, guarding their hard-earned meat pile. Whenever they got hungry, they would go back to eat the communal food, leaving their private stash untouched for future use.

Qiao Qixi's little calculations were working perfectly, making him dream of a towering meat mountain that he could never finish eating.

He had dreamt this kind of vivid dream countless times. Suddenly curious, he wondered if Otis ever dreamed.

It seemed he did; scientists said animals dream too.

Qiao Qixi couldn't help but watch Otis, who was dozing off, wondering what the wild polar bear dreamed about. What was his world like?

Besides eating, drinking, and sleeping, did he have any other pursuits?

He was genuinely curious.

A week passed, and Qiao Qixi's stash grew while the whale carcass dwindled. The bears who had followed the scent to this place enjoyed a final feast but were soon left feeling empty once the food was gone.

With no food, they would have to set out on another search, hoping for the next lucky encounter.

During this time, some polar bears eyed Qiao Qixi's stash, but Otis chased them all away. Otis, having survived bullets, didn't regard regular polar bears as a threat.

#The Stranded Whale Is Eaten; Polar Bears Leave the Coast One by One#

In the photo, the massive whale was reduced to bones and a head. The dozen or so bears of varying shades departed, giving the impression of a party breaking up, leaving a trace of melancholy and a sense of farewell.

A patient mother bear, with her cubs, licked the last bits of meat from the whale's bones, a scene that brought a sense of poignancy to the viewers.

Where would they go next?

Would they ever find another feast like this?

Finally, even the mother bear and her cubs left the beach. What was once a bustling coastline was now just Qiao Qixi and Otis.

Qiao Qixi, who enjoyed crowds, felt a bit of the sadness of parting, while Otis, who preferred solitude, wasn't affected at all and even appreciated the quiet.

Standing on a rock, Qiao Qixi gazed down at the whale's massive skeleton and the empty beach, a scene that could be turned into a sorrowful ballad.

But Qiao Qixi wasn't an artist. His reaction to this scene was simply to lament, "Ah, the food is gone."

Fortunately, there was still a pile of jerky behind him, enough to sustain them for several days before they had to search for more food.

Otis, on the other hand, didn't overthink it. As the area quieted down, he lay on a rock, rolling around to scratch his itchy back while basking in the sun.

What a carefree big cutie.

Besides rolling on the ground, another iconic polar bear activity was finding a protruding rock to scratch their butts.

It was quite embarrassing.

Every bear did it, a necessary pastime.

Qiao Qixi occasionally saw Otis scratching his butt. Even though Otis was handsome and charming, this act made him look slightly perverse.

There was no helping it; the action itself was just too undignified!

If Qiao Q

ixi were still human, he might laugh out loud like a pig.

But as a bear, he swore he would never do such a thing, even if no humans were watching.

No, there were plenty of humans watching.

There was even a forum constantly updating their activities.

Qiao Qixi's well-guarded territory had already been exposed in photos for everyone to see.

"Look, the early melting ice is making the polar bears smarter!"

"OMG, it's storing food, haha."

"Again, tie him up and let it go to school. It deserves a spot at Tsinghua."

"Alexander is awesome, making me wonder if he's a reincarnated human."

"Haha, what a wild idea. Do you think this is a fantasy world?"

"Right! Under Alexander's bear skin lives a meticulous boy, a clean boy."

"Then Otis must be a reincarnated human too. Did they come together?"

"By the way, Otis is so good to Alexander. I could write a 100,000-word romance novel about their interactions, so sweet."

"Reminder: They're both male. Even in fiction, this wouldn't fit the romance genre. It belongs on LGBTQ forums."

"Who wants to read about two male polar bears falling in love on a gay forum?"

"Don't project your fantasies! Otis and Alexander have a pure brotherly bond, unlike you humans with impure thoughts. Bah!"

"You didn't study enough if you think there are no gay animals."

"Animals don't hold a candle to humans in terms of perverseness. Shall I educate you on dolphins' bedroom activities?"

"Dolphins do it for pleasure and excitement~"

"What do dolphins have to do with polar bears? Polar bears are clearly pure and serious, with no evil thoughts."

The supposedly serious and pure Otis stayed close to his little bear, never leaving his side. The temperature had risen by two or three degrees recently, making it less cool, a temperature Otis disliked.

He hoped this summer would pass quickly.

Yet, Otis still loved cuddling with the cub to sleep. The cub's nose was cool and round, perpetually moist. Its body was soft, its white fur giving off a pleasant scent.

While Qiao Qixi slept, Otis remained partially awake, guarding their meat pile.

In truth, with two polar bears lying there, no gull would dare approach, no matter how bold.

When Qiao Qixi woke up, yawning and bleary-eyed, Otis, feeling too warm, temporarily left to take a dip in the sea.

If it were last year, he would have stayed in the water longer, but not now. He worried about other predators attacking the cub.

Soaking became a luxury. After a brief cooling off, Otis returned from the sea.

He rolled on the grass, drying himself quickly, then went back to Qiao Qixi.

Upon Otis's return, Qiao Qixi offered him some jerky. Otis only ate it when the cub fed it to him. It was touching yet exasperating.

It seemed Otis had accepted the jerky as Qiao Qixi's food, never touching it on his own. But if the cub fed it to him, he wouldn't refuse.

It seemed it wasn't for sustenance, just to make Qiao Qixi happy.

Otis's gentleness added a romantic filter to this summer.

Revised ✔