POLAR BEAR ARC CHAPTER 22

The little picky eater should be thankful that polar bears don't have the echolocation communication systems of orcas and dolphins. Otherwise, all his internal complaints about not wanting to eat fatty meat would echo throughout the Arctic, and he'd become quite famous for it.

Qiao Qixi, of course, knew the benefits of eating fatty meat. That's why he hoped Otis would eat more of it, instead of giving it all to him. Otis needed to keep up his own strength since he was still the pillar of their little family. The way they divided the food made perfect sense.

*Oh well,* Qiao Qixi thought, *we're like a family, so let's not overthink it. If we're brothers, I'll eat this fatty meat.* But instead of eating it himself, the little bear brought the chunk of fat to Otis, insisting that he eat it.

Polar bears, pure and straightforward like a blank slate, would never think to question the little bear's motives. Otis simply assumed that Qiao Qixi was offering him the best part of the meal out of kindness. After some back-and-forth, Otis finally accepted the fatty meat, finding it quite tasty. After enjoying it, he licked his lips and gazed at Qiao Qixi with deep, expressive eyes that seemed to sparkle like the night sky.

There was no doubt that Otis was handsome, and Qiao Qixi admired him greatly. Seeing Otis's pleased expression, Qiao Qixi couldn't help but smile back, his eyes narrowing in contentment. He was also happy for another reason—he had successfully fed all the fatty meat to Otis and was left with the lean meat he preferred.

Gradually, Otis seemed to realize that in the little bear's eager gaze, he had unknowingly consumed most of the available fat. Meanwhile, Qiao Qixi was left with only the less nutritious lean meat. Feeling somewhat guilty, Otis nudged the uninjured side of Qiao Qixi's face.

Qiao Qixi sighed as he nibbled on the meat, thinking to himself how childish Otis could be. He couldn't even eat a meal without getting all touchy-feely.

While the well-fed little bear happily licked his paws, other bear cubs were still waiting by the shore for their mothers to return from hunting. The scent of blood in the air seemed to heighten the hunger of the nearby cub, who began cautiously inching closer, too hungry to resist the allure of food.

Qiao Qixi's heart softened as he watched the small, emaciated cub approach, its eyes large and bright despite its hunger. How could such a small, innocent cub possibly pose a threat? He wondered if Otis would react aggressively, and for a moment, he prepared himself to intervene, even if it meant putting himself in danger to protect the cub.

Fortunately, Otis's reaction was mild. He merely lifted his eyelids to glance at the cub, showing no signs of anger or aggression. This outcome didn't surprise Qiao Qixi, as he had anticipated it. If Otis disliked the cub, they wouldn't have traveled together for so long. Given Otis's territorial and dominant nature, he wouldn't allow another bear to share his hunting grounds unless he had some level of acceptance.

Having eaten their fill, Qiao Qixi began to consider a bold move: offering some leftover scraps to the cub. But then he hesitated, worried about how the mother bear might react. She seemed rather fierce, and Qiao Qixi couldn't help but feel sorry for the cub, who seemed to have a tough life compared to the pampered treatment he received from Otis.

After much deliberation, Qiao Qixi couldn't stand it any longer. With a resolute heart, he gathered the leftover scraps into his little yellow bucket and cautiously brought them over to the cub. The clever little cub initially hid when Qiao Qixi approached, but once Qiao Qixi retreated, it rushed over and devoured the food in a frenzy, clearly starved.

As Qiao Qixi generously shared the meat, he couldn't help but worry about Otis's reaction. To avoid trouble, he subtly positioned his "large" body between Otis and the cub, ready to act cute if necessary to placate Otis. *After all,* he thought, *saving a cub is a noble deed. Who knows? Maybe in my next life, I'll be rewarded with a good reincarnation.*

With a post-meal laziness setting in, Qiao Qixi snuggled against Otis, his mind drifting. *Dear Otis, if you could understand me, I'd tell you: being human is exhausting. If you ever get a choice, don't become human.*

*School at three, studying for more than ten years, then the stress of finding a job, buying a house, getting married—it's all so tiring,* he thought. *Being a polar bear is tough, but being human might be even tougher.*

As these thoughts swirled in his head, Qiao Qixi slowly drifted off to sleep, his soft, chubby body sliding down as he dozed off. Otis, ever attentive, caught him with his arm, lay down, and naturally resumed his routine of licking the little bear's swollen face.

Meanwhile, the mother bear upstream had also finished her hunt. She brought her catch back downstream, where she found her cub already eating the scraps given by the kind bear. This unusual situation left her somewhat puzzled, though she didn't dwell on it for long. After all, she still remembered Otis's scent.

Sharing food was something that typically only happened between parent and child. The mother bear couldn't understand why her son, whom she remembered as a male, now had a little cub of his own. Despite the confusion, she accepted this strange reality.

Lying down, the mother bear tore into her catch, instinctively eating the fat first, a behavior driven by the need to maintain her own energy and nutrition. Without enough sustenance, both she and her cub wouldn't survive.

Qiao Qixi was right—the mother bear wasn't as indulgent with her cub as Otis was with him. A mother bear's love had limits. By the time her cub was about a year old, she would already be encouraging it to learn to hunt and fight on its own. In a short time, she would teach her cub all the survival skills it needed and then push it to leave the nest.

This was the reality of polar bear motherhood—maternal instincts had a time limit.

After eating her fill, the mother bear glanced toward the shade where her older cub, now a strong and powerful adult, lay. However, what caught her attention was the little cub in Otis's embrace, now over two years old and well past the age to leave the nest. The mother bear might have been wondering why such a large cub was still so clingy.

In his sleep, the pampered little bear felt a chill on his head, prompting him to burrow deeper into Otis's embrace. Having finally eaten their fill after days of hunger, they needed a long rest to recover both physically and mentally.

When conditions allowed, polar bears, like humans, required seven to eight hours of sleep a day. In a safe, comfortable environment, they could fully relax and enjoy a deep, restorative sleep.

The grim realities of summer in the Arctic had been a constant topic on forums lately, with each update more distressing than the last. Despite the tireless efforts of conservation groups, accidents still happened, and the non-natural decline in the polar bear population was inevitable. People wanted to say they were doing their best, but they knew deep down there was still much to be done.

Increasing the environmental awareness of 7 billion people remained a colossal task.

In the forum, a frequent poster of Otis and Alexander shared a heartwarming photo of the two pairs of polar bears sleeping peacefully, maintaining a respectful distance from each other. It seemed that they had truly become neighbors in their new temporary home, further solidifying the theory that they were related.

: "It's great to see that after a long journey, the polar bears have finally found a good place to hunt. Now they can focus on fattening up."

: "Otis finally has a resting place, but poor Alexander has gotten so skinny, LOL."

: "New neighbors! Does this mean Otis and Alexander are really friendly? They're even sharing their hunting grounds with other bears."

: "That mother bear has a cub, so it can't be a case of opposites attracting. Otis really is an extraordinary bear. I'd love to give him a 'Good Bear' card!"

: "Guys, don't speculate too much. The OP says they're probably parent and child. Besides, isn't Otis supposedly...well, you know."

: "Otis: No spreading rumors!"

: "He's just a rare single dad—how did he become the subject of such wild rumors?"

: "I just want to ask Otis: isn't it hot holding a little heater in this weather?"

: "I just want to ask Alexander: aren't you embarrassed to be such a big cub and still sleeping in your guardian's arms?"

: "Oh my, your focus is all over the place! Am I the only one happy that Alexander finally has a little playmate?"

: "You're thinking too much. Cubs from different mothers won't play together."

: "I'm off-topic too, but what's the relationship here? If that mother bear really is Otis's mom, does that mean Alexander has to call the little cub Uncle or Aunt?"

: "Can we clarify? Alexander is Otis's adopted brother, not his son. So, no need for any of that."

: "Right, there's no blood relation. The only bear Alexander needs to respect is Otis. He doesn't need to care about anyone else."

: "Funniest thing I've heard all year: Alexander respecting Otis. Haha, as if Alexander's not always causing trouble for him."

: "I feel like Alexander has super luck and charm. He's not going to starve no matter what. Even if it weren't for Otis, some other big bear would be taking care of him."

: "Watch out—Otis might come after you. Alexander is his and his alone."

: "True, true. If you want to nab Alexander, you'd better ask Otis, but don't be surprised if you lose your head in the process."

The forum users were spot on. These four fortunate polar bears would settle down on the shore and make it their summer home. The bay, rich with belugas and offering shade, was an ideal summer retreat. The mother bear could also use this time to teach her cub how to hunt belugas, a crucial skill it needed to survive.

Time was of the essence for every mother bear, who hoped her cub would grow strong enough to survive on its own when the time came to leave. Even human records showed that no other polar bear parent spoiled their cubs as much as Otis did with Alexander.

Revised ✔