POLAR BEAR ARC CHAPTER 24

After Otis's "attack" and his subsequent gentle soothing, the fear and exhaustion from the long day finally caught up with Qiao Qixi, and he drifted off to sleep.

However, his heart was far from at ease before he fell asleep.

Qiao Qixi had grown so accustomed to Otis's constant care and protection that he nearly forgot Otis's true nature—that of a solitary king of the ice. Otis's fighting prowess was undeniable, and at his core, he was competitive and ruthless.

Male polar bears often target younger bears not only out of hunger but also because of an innate instinct to eliminate any potential threats and competition, even if that competition is still just a cub. This is the primal instinct of a predator, a genetic memory ingrained deep within them.

Otis's deep, resonant roar had not only nearly scared Qiao Qixi out of his wits but also served as a stark reminder: as a young male polar bear, he would eventually become a rival to Otis.

This wasn't just a baseless fear; it was the truth.

In Otis's eyes, Qiao Qixi was a future competitor for survival resources and mating opportunities. The fact that Otis hadn't killed him and was instead raising him was already an extraordinary thing.

But how long could this "abnormal" situation last?

Qiao Qixi's thoughts were spot on, aligning with the conclusions of most researchers who believed that the turning point in this "non-mainstream" friendship would come when Otis reached his first mating season.

The summer season would give way to spring soon enough, and perhaps within less than half a year, Otis would realize that he had made a bad deal—raising a useless bear that would eventually encroach on his territory and survival chances. And then, Otis might very well turn on him, expelling him with force.

Or worse, giving him a thorough beating before kicking him out.

*...That's terrifying.*

The little bear who cautiously nestled in Otis's embrace tonight was one who had many worries on his mind.

That ear-splitting roar had driven a wedge between him and Otis, an unavoidable barrier.

How to put it—though they shared the same bed, they had different dreams. Otis, wary of the growing cub becoming a competitor, and Qiao Qixi, wary of the day when Otis might suddenly wake up and decide to end him.

*The more you think about it, the more tragic it seems.*

It was like the relationship between an ancient king and his ministers.

*Too tragic.*

As Qiao Qixi mulled over these thoughts, he finally fell asleep.

When he awoke, the sun was still shining brightly, and the sea breeze carried a slight warmth. The mother bear and her cub were nowhere to be seen.

And neither was Otis.

Yes, he was alone, lying in the shade, guarding their now-empty sleeping spot.

This was a rare occurrence, and it only confirmed his fears. The moment a rift appears, it's only a matter of time before you fall out of favor, and then, inevitably, get kicked out.

Qiao Qixi quickly twisted his head around, looking for his little yellow bucket—the only personal belonging he could take with him.

Finding it, he breathed a sigh of relief.

In the process of locating the bucket, he spotted Otis, who was standing by the sea, patiently waiting for prey. So, Otis had gone hunting.

Seeing Otis's massive silhouette gave Qiao Qixi a fleeting sense of security.

But that wasn't right!

Qiao Qixi stared at Otis's back in slight confusion, his brow furrowed. *Sigh, I really don't want to rely on Otis like this. Besides, I'm a petty bear pretending to be something I'm not.*

He had been so frightened yesterday that he had forgotten to be angry.

Now that he thought about it, Qiao Qixi felt upset!

How could Otis roar at him so fiercely? The memory still made his heart race with lingering fear.

The petty little bear lay on his side under the shade, seriously contemplating his situation. Could he survive after leaving Otis? What were his chances of making it through the winter alone?

Patting his chubby belly, Qiao Qixi felt there might be a chance.

Life with Otis was comfortable, but it wasn't conducive to his growth into a strong, independent bear. If he wanted to become the best bear he could be, leaving to gain experience wasn't a bad option.

Of course, Qiao Qixi had to admit that part of his sudden urge to run away was because of his petty, overly sensitive nature.

With his wisdom and thoughts, he could never fully rely on Otis, who lived purely by instinct. It was unfair to him, and trying to project human emotions onto Otis was also unfair—after all, Otis had no obligation to fulfill such expectations.

Since separation was inevitable, part of their destined fate, why not take advantage of the moment and make a clean break?

*Yes, that's it,* Qiao Qixi thought, taking a deep breath.

*Goodbye, Otis. Today, I'll set off on my own adventure, with my little yellow bucket.*

With a determined mind, the little bear let go of the paw he had unknowingly been chewing, jumped up, and grabbed his little yellow bucket.

The noise of the sea and waves undoubtedly increased the chances of him successfully sneaking away.

To avoid alerting Otis while he was hunting, Qiao Qixi employed his hunting skills, moving silently and lowering his presence as much as possible. He carefully picked up the bucket, step by step...

*Hmm, I haven't decided which direction to sail.*

Qiao Qixi raised his round head, looking toward the entrance of the inlet. *Ah, I want to cross to the other side and then venture far away, but the entrance's waters are wide, making it difficult to swim across.*

*The inlet's depths?*

That direction led inland, where the waters gradually narrowed, making it easier to cross. However, the dangers inland were not to be underestimated, and a young bear with no combat skills might meet an unfortunate end.

After much thought, Qiao Qixi decided to return to the inlet's entrance. However, he might encounter the mother bear and her cub there. He wasn't sure if passing under their watchful eyes would lead to a beating.

But there's no perfect plan in the world—sometimes, you just have to go for it.

With his little yellow bucket in his mouth, the little bear tiptoed away.

At this moment, Otis's round, sharp eyes were focused on the sea, staring intently at the belugas swimming by.

Unlike the little bear, who lunged recklessly with only 80% certainty, Otis waited until he was 100% sure before making a move. This saved him a lot of time and effort.

Besides, it hadn't been long since his last meal, so Otis wasn't very hungry. He had just gone out to hunt because he was worried the little bear might be hungry, and he wanted to catch something while the cub was still asleep.

Otis, with his simple nature and lack of complex emotions, could never have guessed that while he was busy hunting, the cub he had picked up would leave without a word.

Until he caught a beluga, Otis's full attention would be on the sea. Unless there was an unusual sound behind him, he wouldn't be easily distracted.

Thanks to Otis's concentration, Qiao Qixi managed to sneak out of his sight. On his way, he indeed encountered the mother bear and her cub.

But they paid him no mind and didn't do anything to him.

That was a relief.

Qiao Qixi joyfully skipped along the shore. At this moment, he felt like freedom was calling to him, the vast world singing in his honor, and even the little grasses by the roadside seemed to bow in respect for his brave decision.

The wind was blowing, and the little horse in his heart was neighing.

*The sunshine is so beautiful.*

With a splash, the already turbulent sea sent up a spray of water as a large white figure dove nimbly and swiftly into the waves.

The belugas in the water panicked, scattering in all directions.

But Otis had his eyes on just one beluga, ignoring the rest even if they swam right by him. He was determined to catch that particular one, with no need to chase any others.

Unlike Qiao Qixi, who closed his eyes every time he plunged into the water, Otis kept his eyes open, which often left them slightly reddened after each hunt.

To minimize the damage from the seawater, the only effective method was to increase the success rate of his hunts.

Otis understood this instinctively.

After turning four years old, his chances of failing to catch a beluga had significantly decreased. But today, he failed.

The massive polar bear emerged from the water, shaking off the seawater from his head.

His expression and gaze didn't reveal much about his feelings after this unsuccessful hunt, but the way he looked back at the sea hinted at his frustration and reluctance to accept defeat.

Perhaps he had been too eager to haul a beluga ashore to feed the little bear that was still sound asleep.

Otis climbed out of the water, his wet fur clinging to his muscular frame. The sunlight on his face made him squint, his pupils contracting from round to oval.

He licked the seawater from his lips and decided to try hunting in another spot.

But before that, the patient polar bear slowly moved across the rocks in the water, glancing toward the shaded area on the shore.

His eyes widened slightly, a look of confusion crossing his face.

In his memory, Qiao Qixi should have been sleeping under the shade, but now the little bear was

nowhere to be seen, and neither was his beloved yellow bucket.

Hunt or go back and check? Between the two options, Otis hesitated for only a second before heading toward the shore.

And he picked up speed.

When he reached their sleeping spot under the trees, it was empty—no sign of the little bear. He looked around, but the bear was nowhere in sight.

This was unusual.

It was also hard to understand.

Otis might have been confused, but he wouldn't overthink things.

A polar bear could track its target by scent alone, so with his fur still wet, Otis immediately took off in the direction Qiao Qixi had gone.

As Otis's silhouette flashed by, the mother bear and her cub looked on in bewilderment, staring at the retreating polar bear for a while.

It was indeed a strange experience for them, considering most polar bears would never encounter a situation where a male polar bear chases after a runaway cub.

*So absurd.*

But the ever-present drone captured the moment as always.

In terms of running speed, Qiao Qixi had limited ability for now. While Otis was momentarily distracted, he managed to sneak about ten kilometers away.

Yes, a full ten kilometers!

But he was still well within the range of a polar bear's scent radar.

It took Otis less than half an hour to catch up with him—exactly twenty-five minutes.

When Otis finally spotted the little bear in the distance, he slowed down, carefully observing the cub with a mix of confusion and caution, making no sound.

This was the instinctive behavior of a polar bear when closing in on its target, showing that Otis considered Qiao Qixi to be his possession.

Qiao Qixi didn't notice Otis until he was within ten meters of him, and when he did, his mind went blank. *I'm doomed!*

His first instinct was to run!

The startled little bear bolted, and Otis immediately gave chase. A ten-meter distance was nothing to him.

And indeed, it wasn't.

Qiao Qixi hadn't even figured out a proper escape route before he felt a shadow fall over him—or rather, a gust of wind blew past him!

Ruffling his fur.

And unsettling his heart.

Otis, who had rushed to catch up with him, managed to stop himself just in time, or else Qiao Qixi might have been crushed under his massive body.

But while that disaster was avoided, another was inevitable.

Instinctively, Otis bit down on the loose skin at the back of Qiao Qixi's neck, pressing down on him to pin him securely to the ground.

In the scuffle, Qiao Qixi's yellow bucket was flung far away, the sound of it hitting the ground echoing in his ears. *Ouch! My heart is bleeding!*

His neck hurt so much.

Qiao Qixi was both in pain and confused. Why was Otis doing this?

The force with which Otis had charged at him earlier was terrifying, as if he were really angry. Was it because he had tried to run away?

*That shouldn't be!*

*With one less useless mouth to feed, shouldn't Otis be happy?*

*Why would he be angry that I left?*

These were questions that Otis, of course, couldn't answer.

But that wasn't the point. *Ah, it hurts.*

"Whimper, whimper..." Polar stars don't cry, but polar bears do.

Otis immediately eased his grip on the cub's neck when he heard the sobbing sounds, quickly licking the spot he had just bitten.

There was no injury, no broken skin—he hadn't used much force.

But Qiao Qixi still made a big fuss, sounding as if his neck had been snapped.

Otis pressed his face against Qiao Qixi's, trying to look into the cub's eyes, or maybe just using his keen sense of smell to assess the cub's condition. Either way, he seemed a bit flustered.

This was something Otis had never encountered before in his life.

A cub that pretended to cry.

And the reason why the cub had run away—these were mysteries Otis couldn't comprehend, unless he somehow gained human intelligence one day.

*Really...?*

Qiao Qixi suddenly stopped fake crying because he was pondering the same question: why had Otis come after him?

Was it because he couldn't bear to let him go?

He didn't know for sure, but he had to admit one thing.

Otis had done many things that went against his instincts, like raising a cub.

As the bear who had been lucky enough to be raised by Otis, Qiao Qixi slowly turned around to meet Otis's deep, focused gaze. It turned out that Otis had been watching him all along.

Their eyes met, communicating silently.

Qiao Qixi still couldn't figure out what Otis was thinking.

Blinking, the little bear pretended to struggle, only to be immediately crushed by Otis as he lay down on top of him.

Now, forget struggling—even breathing was a challenge!

Alright, Qiao Qixi got it. Otis was afraid he would run away again.

"Whimper, whimper..."

The soft, pitiful cries made the "mountain" on top of him pause and ease up slightly.

"Whimper, whimper..." The little bear pushed his luck, hoping for even more space.

Otis lowered his gaze, watching the cub pinned beneath him. After a moment, he fell for it and gave the little bear more room to move.

Knowing that Otis still cared about him made Qiao Qixi feel a bit more satisfied. After all, his little stunt had clearly given Otis quite a scare.

But he wasn't completely satisfied.

To fully clear the air, Qiao Qixi suddenly bit Otis's arm again, right in the same spot, with the same force!

No, this time he bit even harder!

Otis's eyes narrowed slightly as he felt the pain, but this time he didn't respond with that terrifying roar.

Polar bears had good memory and logical reasoning skills, so perhaps Otis had figured out why the little bear had tried to run away.

That scare—once was enough.

Otis didn't react.

*??*

*Was it not the pain that caused it but the 'swearing'?*

Qiao Qixi let go, glaring fiercely at Otis.

After a moment's thought, he decided to repeat the curse from yesterday: "Roar!"

This time, Otis still showed no signs of anger. Instead, he lowered his head and licked the mouth that had just cursed him.

It seemed like he was encouraging the little bear, letting him know it was okay to curse if he was unhappy.

*Damn...*

Qiao Qixi wondered if he was losing his mind. Otherwise, how could he interpret such complex meanings from a polar bear's gaze?

He must be losing it.

But since Otis hadn't gotten angry again, Qiao Qixi decided to let it go. He couldn't possibly hold a grudge against a polar bear, right?

He reasoned with himself, then lifted his head to lick Otis's mouth in return.

This was the most direct way to express friendliness between animals.

Otis's dark eyes seemed to brighten with joy. After Qiao Qixi's lick, Otis enthusiastically pinned the little bear down for another round of affectionate grooming.

In no time, Qiao Qixi's face was covered in Otis's scent.

And it didn't stop at his face—every part that Otis usually groomed was thoroughly taken care of.

The warmth and careful attention made Qiao Qixi feel like he was back on solid ground.

*It turns out that I was the one overthinking everything. Otis doesn't have all these complex thoughts.*

*When he likes something, he likes it. When he's fond of something, he's truly fond of it.*

*So straightforward and pure.*

It even made Qiao Qixi wonder if polar bears could feel such intense emotions.

The little bear pressed closely against Otis's chest, feeling the bear's heartbeat, which was different from a human's.

Yes, it was different from a human's, but right now, they were the same, weren't they?

So it wasn't a case of sharing a bed but dreaming different dreams.

No matter what happened in the past, at this moment, they were companions, relying on each other, trusting each other, with no need for so many worries and doubts.

Qiao Qixi rubbed against Otis, and without hesitation, Otis returned the gesture.

The final look in his eyes seemed to ask, *Is that enough?*

Revised ✔