POLAR BEAR ARC CHAPTER 28

Faced with Otis feeding him a cookie mouth-to-mouth, Qiao Qixi found himself reflecting deeply on his own thoughts. He realized it was wrong to interpret this act with a human perspective. Firstly, Otis didn't have hands as dexterous as humans, so using his mouth to feed was natural, especially since Qiao Qixi had been fed this way many times before. Secondly, Otis had always treated him like a cub, showering him with pure, untainted affection—a love that was grand and devoid of any impurities.

Even though he had been a polar bear for quite some time now, Qiao Qixi still tended to view animal interactions through a human lens, which he now recognized as a mistake.

Feeling ashamed of his previous thoughts, Qiao Qixi opened his mouth and accepted the cookie Otis offered. In Otis's eyes, this was likely a way to strengthen their bond—a form of "parent-child" interaction. Given all the care he had received from Otis, Qiao Qixi knew he should cherish and nurture their emotional connection.

Qiao Qixi understood this well: if this type of interaction brought Otis joy, why not embrace it?

Putting aside his unnecessary overthinking, Qiao Qixi nuzzled into the cookie bag, grabbed a fresh cookie, and gently offered it to Otis.

The little polar bear's innocent, round eyes radiated gratitude and affection.

Otis accepted the cookie, savoring the heartfelt offering. After finishing it, he licked his nose, clearly pleased.

With ample sleep, a full belly, and the little bear's companionship, Otis found his simple needs met. At least for now, he felt completely content.

In his past memories, Otis had lived a solitary life. Born and raised alone after leaving his mother, he wandered by himself. His life path seemed predictable, following the usual patterns of most male polar bears: eventually reproducing, facing the risk of death in his prime, or surviving until the end purely by chance.

But a twist of fate had altered Otis's life, just as it had changed Qiao Qixi's. Their paths had crossed, and they had become friends under strange circumstances. Together, they recovered from injuries and then roamed the vast, boundless Arctic.

What had once been a solitary journey became a shared one, their paths intertwining and sparking warmth that brightened their lives and touched those who watched them.

After spending another two days in the cabin, Qiao Qixi realized that Otis was intent on exhausting the cabin's supplies and enjoying a full-fledged vacation there.

Looking at the pile of empty wrappers strewn across the floor, Qiao Qixi couldn't deny that he had been the one responsible for consuming most of the food. Ever since their first feast upon arrival, Otis seemed to have lost interest in the food.

That wouldn't do.

If Otis wasn't eating, Qiao Qixi decided he needed to control his own intake as well.

With the scorching weather outside, staying in the cabin to avoid the heat was nice, but the little polar bear began to ration their remaining food, planning out daily portions. He calculated that if they were careful, they could stretch the food supply until September.

Autumn, with its "paper tiger" heat, would soon give way to the rapidly cooling temperatures of the polar region. However, the sea ice wouldn't yet be thick enough to form, providing only a brief respite from the heat.

Counting the days gave Qiao Qixi something to look forward to.

With renewed confidence, he placed his paws on the window and gazed out at the bright blue sky. Wow, another summer was almost over—another year of surviving with thrills but no real danger.

There's a saying that life should be lived with a sense of ritual, so what should one do in the autumn?

Qiao Qixi glanced at the pile of dried fish on the table. Neither he nor Otis had touched it in days.

Then he looked over at Otis, who was lounging in the shade, lazily scratching himself. Of course, autumn was the time to bulk up for the winter. How else could they survive the cold?

Otis hadn't eaten in three days.

If it were a human child not eating properly for three days, that would be easily handled—a simple scolding or a timeout. But Otis not eating for three days? Qiao Qixi glanced down at his chubby limbs, shaking his head furiously. He didn't even want to think about that.

Beating Otis for not eating? That's just foolish.

After some thought, Qiao Qixi walked over to the table, grabbed a dried fish, and then picked up a bottle of liquor from the cabinet. He wobbled on his hind legs as he carried these items, his plump body swaying as he walked.

Otis had already noticed the little bear's movements. Though he was still scratching himself, his attention had shifted to Qiao Qixi.

The pure and sincere gaze of the large bear made Qiao Qixi's heart race. Animals' eyes were just too pure, too honest.

Qiao Qixi made his intentions clear by shoving the dried fish and liquor toward Otis, knowing full well that Otis never refused him, even when his requests were unreasonable.

As Qiao Qixi expected, after some pitiful whining and coaxing—almost as if he were a grieving widow crying at a grave—Otis finally agreed to accept the dried fish and liquor.

The hungry polar bear easily tore apart the arm-thick fish, chewing it down in big bites, and paired it with a gulp of Greenlander liquor. It made for a satisfying afternoon snack.

Seeing this, Qiao Qixi eagerly brought over three more fish.

He wasn't fond of the stale, damp dried fish, but watching Otis enjoy it so much made him grab one for himself and start gnawing at it.

The taste was tolerable—at least it filled his belly.

Perhaps in Otis's eyes, the dried fish was a good thing, as was the liquor. Just as he had tried to feed Qiao Qixi the blubber of a beluga whale, Otis now attempted to share the liquor with him.

When the bottle was suddenly thrust toward him, Qiao Qixi nearly jumped out of his fur. *Hey, this is too much!*

He had never imagined this scenario.

It was bad enough being chased around by a polar bear trying to feed him fatty meat, but now he was facing a polar bear trying to make him drink liquor. That was just absurd.

What's next—getting drunk together and passing out in each other's arms?

*No way. No way!*

Shaking his head vigorously, Qiao Qixi refused, making it clear that Otis could drink by himself.

Really.

Understanding the rejection, much like when Qiao Qixi refused fatty meat, Otis didn't force the little bear, who was both picky and spoiled. Instead, he leaned against the cabin wall and drank leisurely by himself.

It was still hard to believe, watching a polar bear drink from a bottle. But Qiao Qixi, perhaps influenced by a bit of hero worship, still found Otis incredibly cool—even when he was drinking. He thought Otis was just so handsome.

To be fair, some animals really do enjoy drinking.

There have been plenty of news stories and online reports about adorable animal "alcoholics," leading people to marvel at how animals can sometimes resemble humans—or perhaps how humans resemble animals?

It's hard to say.

However, Qiao Qixi quickly discovered that even if Otis didn't drag him into drinking, he wasn't safe from the consequences of Otis's drunkenness.

Darn it.

When Otis pinned him down, belly-up, Qiao Qixi felt like a ragdoll—small, helpless, and pitiful.

"Oooh..." He cried out, but no one was coming to his rescue.

The little bear, assaulted by this drunken brute, symbolically squirmed his chubby body, if you could even call it that.

Otis lowered his head and licked away the non-existent tears from the corners of the little bear's eyes.

Then he moved on to the rest of Qiao Qixi's body, grooming him as usual, only today with a bit more intensity and fervor—something Qiao Qixi blamed on the alcohol.

It was rough, to say the least.

He had already known that drinking was trouble.

Next time, he swore to himself, he would stop Otis from drinking.

Earlier, he had thought Otis looked cool while drinking. But after being rubbed into the ground like this, Qiao Qixi quickly discarded that notion.

Let this be a warning: never, ever choose a partner who loves to drink, unless you want to risk being licked and pinned down afterward.

Of course, Otis wasn't his partner—just a friend.

A companion he relied on; how could he refuse? Plus, thinking back, it was him who had handed Otis the bottle in the first place. What a headache.

Learning from this experience, Qiao Qixi decided that from now on, any meal involving dried fish and liquor was off the table.

From now on, only dried fish—no more liquor.

When it came to being crafty, a thousand Otises couldn't match one Alexander.

The next time Otis woke up, slightly hungover, he would find that all the liquor in the cabin had been hidden away by Qiao Qixi.

Given Otis's somewhat restrained nature, he likely wouldn't start rummaging through the cabin to find more to drink.

But Qiao Qixi felt a bit guilty. In this season of scarce food, not only were they not eating enough, but now Otis couldn't even have his drink.

How pitiful.

Eventually, Qiao Qixi's conscience won out, and every now and then, he

would bring out a bottle to let Otis have some fun.

And then, of course, he'd endure another round of being licked raw.

Plus, the torture of being pinned down by a drunken Otis while he slept.

At one point, Qiao Qixi tried to sneak out to use the bathroom, only to be caught and dragged back by his neck as if there was nowhere else safe for him but in Otis's embrace.

That was Drunk Otis—possessive and overbearing.

Not at all like his usual self.

Holding in his bladder was pure torture, and the little bear nearly entertained the idea of relieving himself all over Otis out of spite.

Thankfully, his second escape attempt was successful. Qiao Qixi found a patch of grass outside the cabin and relieved himself comfortably.

Animals often hide their waste.

But Qiao Qixi's efforts were half-hearted at best. He lazily scratched at the surrounding grass, doing little to cover anything, let alone the scent.

When the drone, occasionally circling the cabin, finally spotted the little bear, it captured a rare and precious moment: Qiao Qixi, alone, taking care of business.

As September arrived, the good news was that the temperature had dropped drastically overnight. The bad news was that the dried fish was gone, the liquor was finished, and the cabin's supplies were depleted.

It was time to leave.

Qiao Qixi's only takeaways were a bucket of fruit candies for the road.

Though hungry, a sweet candy now and then made life feel a little brighter.

During their journey, Otis often seemed to think that Qiao Qixi's mouth and cheeks were sweet, as every time he licked the little bear, he would taste the lingering sweetness.

And Qiao Qixi noticed that since leaving the cabin, Otis's licking frequency had significantly increased.

*Crafty Otis, just trying to sneak a taste of my candy!*

But as a kind and generous little bear, could Qiao Qixi really keep all the treats to himself?

However, he soon realized Otis was picky—he didn't like it when Qiao Qixi offered him a candy directly. Instead, Otis preferred licking the sweetness off Qiao Qixi's mouth.

*...*

*Some bears have such weird habits.*

With the weather cooling down, walking was no longer as oppressive. Aside from the lack of food, everything else was fine.

Walking, walking, and more walking—Qiao Qixi had grown accustomed to the rhythm, even finding joy in the scenery along the way.

It was beautiful. The autumn beach was veiled in a thin layer of mist, with massive, corpulent walruses huddled together, creating a scene that seemed almost surreal.

Humans rarely got the chance to witness such a perfect convergence of time, place, and circumstances.

But for the polar bears, it was just another stroll through the landscape. They might even eye the fat walruses hungrily... though, for now, it seemed they were just passing by.

Qiao Qixi looked up at Otis, who seemed to be merely passing through, and couldn't help but marvel at how, without Otis leading the way, he would never have dared to walk so close to these creatures.

No way.

Otis ultimately decided against attacking the powerful walruses; their massive weight and long tusks were formidable deterrents. Even targeting their calves would be difficult.

His focus was on the fish in the tranquil bay. While it wouldn't be a feast, it would at least satisfy the little bear's hunger.

Qiao Qixi was still growing, and since leaving the cabin, he hadn't eaten much. As a result, he had burned off some of his fat reserves, and now that autumn had arrived, he looked a bit leaner, with less of his previous childish roundness.

But to Otis, he was still a cub in need of care and protection.

The little bear approached the water and glanced at his reflection. His face and features had matured somewhat. Yes, he now had the makings of a polar bear king—give him time, and he might even become a legendary figure in the Arctic.

"..."

But honestly, Qiao Qixi still preferred Otis's cool, imposing style. The real, awe-inspiring kind of cool—not his own baby-faced look that had no trace of fierceness.

Of course, he knew that Otis hadn't been born with his intimidating aura. It was something built up over time through countless battles.

The only path to becoming a cool, legendary polar bear?

Struggle. Fight!

First, he needed to catch some fish, and then, after eating, maybe spar with Otis a little.

When Qiao Qixi rammed into Otis's broad, sturdy back, Otis slowly turned to look at him before returning to licking his paws.

Frustrated, Qiao Qixi stomped his feet, but he wouldn't give up. He ran back to a farther starting point, charging forward even faster before pouncing with a "rawr!"

Otis stood there, letting the "ferocious" little bear cling to his back, but he didn't react.

The reason was simple—polar bears didn't fight like that.

Qiao Qixi had no choice but to give up on trying to engage Otis, who clearly had no interest in wrestling with a weaker bear.

Instead, his gaze shifted to a rock on the beach.

*Fine, I'll make that rock my pretend enemy.*

As Qiao Qixi focused on the rock, the large bear, watching him from nearby, grew restless.

Otis casually walked over, lifted his paw, and knocked the little bear to the ground.

"???"

Incredulous, Qiao Qixi lay on the sand, hearing a melodramatic line in his mind: *You know nothing... of true power.*

"Waaah."

But he had a secret weapon that made the fierce opponent back off.

The little bear scrambled to his feet and pounced at the big polar bear again. With just one paw, Otis easily pinned him down, rendering him immobile.

"Waaah."

Fortunately, his secret weapon had no cooldown time and could be used repeatedly!

Of course, Qiao Qixi, who longed to improve, knew that this secret weapon only worked on Otis.

Otis was the best.

He really liked Otis.

Their "battle" went on for a while. Whether or not it improved Qiao Qixi's skills was unclear, but it did tire him out. He yawned and curled up in his companion's embrace, quickly falling asleep.

The greatest benefit of the cooling weather was that the two bears, who loved to cuddle, no longer had to fear the heat. They could comfortably enjoy each other's warmth.

Now, in this vast, icy Arctic expanse, the transition from polar day to polar night was underway.

The sky turned cloudy, and for days, a layer of fog lingered over the water, hanging in the air like a ghostly shroud.

With the sun no longer shining, the once-bright beach was now cloaked in gloom, heralding the arrival of a new "era."

The polar night.

The pampered little bear poked his head out from the warm embrace, blinking his large, sleepy eyes in confusion.

It was dark.

Qiao Qixi had spent half a year in the Arctic, surviving one polar day and finally experiencing his first night.

The little bear looked up at the starry sky, filled with a sense of awe and nostalgia. *Ah, night.*

But when he glanced at the sea, the eerie atmosphere made his fur stand on end.

*Whoa, is the beach at night always this creepy?*

The sound of the waves crashing against the shore brought to mind scenes from horror movies, like a coffin drifting on the ocean in "The Ring."

*Ahhh!*

His overactive imagination sent a chill down his spine, and Qiao Qixi quickly burrowed back into Otis's embrace, trembling as he silently prayed for daylight to come soon.

Suddenly, he froze as he recalled something: *Wait, when does daylight come again?*

*Oh no, oh no—it's not until March!*

*I can't take this!*

Compared to Qiao Qixi's fear, Otis seemed unfazed by the transition between polar day and polar night. The arrival of darkness didn't bother him at all.

But he quickly sensed the little bear's anxiety.

*Why are you scared?*

Otis couldn't understand, but he knew one thing—keeping the little bear calm was his responsibility.

He enjoyed when the little bear was happy, but fear? He didn't like that.

As Otis soothed and licked him, Qiao Qixi couldn't help but wonder, *Was Otis afraid of the dark when he was little? Did his mother comfort him like this?*

With the arrival of the polar night, the little bear would face new challenges—like fishing in the dark, which terrified him.

*Don't say that, don't say that.*

Qiao Qixi desperately wished that the polar night was just a bad dream, and that when he woke up, it would still be a bright, sunny day. But when he woke up, the darkness persisted, as deep and unyielding as ever.

He trailed closely behind Otis, keeping physical contact at all times, never letting himself stray—just like his connection to his homeland.

Perhaps Otis noticed how clingy the little bear had become, but he didn't mind; in fact, he seemed to enjoy it.

Recently, Otis's way of expressing affection was by gently nibbling on the little bear—on his ears, his cheeks, his paws, or any part he could reach.

Even while hunting, Otis occasionally got distracted by the little bear, though never when Qiao Qixi was

staring at him intently.

Fortunately, with the polar night's arrival, the drone's surveillance decreased, so there were fewer chances of capturing scenes of the two bears cuddling while fishing.

They were just too close.

After failing to catch a fish for half a day, Qiao Qixi had a moment of self-awareness, worrying that if he kept being so clingy, Otis might eventually get fed up.

What Qiao Qixi didn't realize was that Otis liked him far more than he could imagine.

On the other hand, if any other female polar bear in the Arctic had a cub as clingy as Qiao Qixi, she might have given up on him long ago and tried for another.

When he thought about it like that, Qiao Qixi realized Otis had a lot on his plate.

Feeling a pang of guilt, the little bear resolved to take the first step toward overcoming his fears by venturing to the other side of the water to fish.

But as soon as he made a move, Otis nipped him and then licked his fur.

In Qiao Qixi's mind, the translation of that action was, *Be good, don't cause trouble.*

*It's just my imagination. It must be.*

Revised ✔