POLAR BEAR ARC CHAPTER 40

In the tail end of this spring season, the sweet and caring little bear, Qiao Qixi, occasionally made sure to pamper Otis, following the principle of mutual care. As a result, Otis would be in a good mood for days at a time.

You could call him a "Polar Bear Lei Feng."

Summer was just around the corner, and based on Qiao Qixi's understanding of animals, it seemed that aside from the notoriously frisky dolphins, no other animals would be in heat outside of spring. It was hard to imagine a thousand-pound polar bear playing "stack the bears" in the heat of summer—it would be unbearable.

At least, that's what Qiao thought at the time. But when summer arrived, Qiao realized he was wrong. His face metaphorically swelled with embarrassment.

True, Otis wasn't in heat during the summer. However, his "little Otis" was often out for a stroll whenever they were play-fighting or rolling around together. And, well, before bed was another high-risk time.

It wasn't hard to conclude that physical contact was the key to flipping Otis's switch. Otherwise, he was pretty calm.

In fact, even when "little Otis" was out, Otis himself remained composed, almost as if nothing was happening. Qiao only noticed sometimes by chance, which left him curious.

'Huh, doesn't it bother him?'

Qiao reasoned that maybe the spring frenzy was what really troubled Otis, while these out-of-season moments were more intermittent and not as intense.

He couldn't quite figure it out—maybe you had to be a purebred polar bear to understand.

Naively, Qiao thought that after Otis's "cleansing" week on the mountain, he had come to view the whole "XXOO" thing as overrated, nothing like the legendary joy it was made out to be. He believed Otis had transcended his desires and returned to his true self, completely uninterested in such things anymore.

Combining human curiosity with that of a young polar bear, Qiao was particularly eager to find out if Otis truly didn't want it anymore or if he was just pretending.

'Why wait? Let's find out today!'

After lunch, the mischievous little bear decided to provoke Otis into a fight.

Otis was still cleaning his paws after his meal when Qiao started nipping at him.

It didn't hurt, but it was certainly annoying.

After five bites, Otis moved to a different spot, turning his back to Qiao to continue cleaning himself.

'Well, well, looks like someone's getting grumpy today!' Qiao thought, slightly frustrated. 'Yesterday, you endured six bites before moving!'

Unrelenting, the playful little bear got into a hunting stance and continued to pester Otis.

After licking the last of his sharp black claws, Otis let out a low, warning growl, as if to say, "Stop it. You're being annoying."

The real reason, however, wasn't Qiao's playful nature. Otis was likely worried about accidentally hurting the young bear if he wasn't careful.

Seeing that Otis was reluctant to spar with him, Qiao felt a bit defeated.

But there were other ways to make physical contact—no need to fight for that! As Otis's favorite little bear, did he really need an excuse to get close?

Not at all.

So, in broad daylight, the little bear waddled over to Otis, let his chubby body go limp, and plopped down next to him.

He then lifted his paw and gave Otis a gentle tickle on the leg.

For a moment, Otis was still licking, but his licks began to hit the air. His focus was entirely on the little bear now, his paw and mouth drifting away from each other... and then the little bear tickled him again.

Qiao wasn't sure why he was so determined to uncover the truth. Maybe he still had that burning curiosity for knowledge despite the changes in his life.

'Do polar bears really remain abstinent outside of spring?'

Otis gazed at the little bear with deep, admiring eyes, clearly appreciating the straightforward display of affection. It wasn't long before he had a reaction.

But that was all.

Until Qiao made the first move, Otis remained a gentleman, not taking advantage of the situation even though "little Otis" was out.

When Qiao finally made contact, Otis narrowed his eyes in pleasure.

Of course, he didn't refuse. In fact, he was quite cooperative.

Afterward, Otis lavished Qiao with an enthusiastic "fur grooming" session, almost licking the fur off of the young bear.

This whole experience proved one thing: Otis was definitely not some ascetic bear—he had a wild side.

Qiao couldn't help but feel that his curiosity had gotten the better of him. Maybe it was better not to seek out the truth next time.

After all, if he didn't initiate, Otis wouldn't usually make a move on him. This was something worth praising, though there was one thing Qiao definitely had to criticize.

Living together for a while, Qiao had discovered that Otis had his own sneaky ways, sometimes even playfully teasing or intentionally messing with him.

For instance, Otis had a bad habit of stealing Qiao's prey while he was hunting, turning what should have been Qiao's catch into his own trophy.

'Seriously?'

It wasn't very harmful, but it was definitely insulting.

Every time this happened, Qiao would fume with frustration, thinking, 'So what if you caught it? You're still going to have to bring it to me and beg me to eat it.'

Then there was the issue of whose paw was on top when they slept together, which was a serious matter.

It wasn't about dominance, but about attitude.

Otis knew full well that Qiao was petty and loved to act spoiled, yet he always insisted on putting his paw on top. Every time Qiao tried to place his paw on top, Otis would immediately push it down—quickly, firmly, and with perfect accuracy.

It was a blatant show of dominance, without even trying to hide it.

'Grr!' Every time, the little bear would growl in frustration, whining that he was mad, really mad!

Only then would Otis stop messing with him.

And sometimes, to get back at Otis, the little bear would muster up the courage to steal one of Otis's catches. But this was something that required a tearful complaint to really hit home, because if he succeeded, Otis would tear off pieces of the prey and force-feed them to Qiao until he was stuffed.

Including all the fat—that was the key part.

'Terrifying, isn't it?'

Very terrifying.

So Qiao only tried it once and never dared to try again.

The upside was that the next time Otis tried to steal from him, Qiao had found a way to counter it.

It was nothing more than turning Otis's own tactics against him.

One day, a drone captured footage of Alexander chasing Otis across the vast polar landscape, meat in his mouth, while letting out fierce growls.

The researchers had no idea what had happened and didn't dare to ask. They were afraid that digging deeper would reveal that it was just another day in the life of a polar bear couple.

And they were right. In any other polar bear relationship, you wouldn't see someone chasing a strong male with a piece of meat.

Only a bear in love would do something like that.

But despite all the complaints, Qiao still liked Otis a lot.

Otis treated him well and never really bullied him.

In fact, Qiao particularly liked it when Otis occasionally showed a childlike side, indicating that Otis no longer felt the need to always be on guard and strong.

It also showed that Qiao had truly grown up.

Sometimes, Otis would treat him as an equal, a fellow bear of the same age.

Of course, this only happened very occasionally.

The chances were slim.

As a partner, Qiao knew he still had to work on it.

Their life in the Arctic—full of playful teasing and shared meals—continued in its usual rhythm.

Though it seemed like nothing changed, not even the type of seals they ate, there were subtle changes all the time—whether in the little bear, Otis, or their surroundings.

Each day brought quiet changes.

Thinking about how polar bears only live about 30 years, Qiao cherished every day.

If he could eat one more bite of meat, he wouldn't miss the chance, and if he could cuddle with Otis one more time, he wouldn't hesitate.

The life of these two polar bears, though tough, was also warm and comforting. Day after day, they ate and drank, with no worries other than their next meal—no emotional entanglements or conflicts.

This was mainly because they couldn't talk, so there was no need to argue.

The days passed by quickly.

From Qiao's two-and-a-half to four-and-a-half years, time flew by in a blur. Before he knew it, those years had become the past.

He had been quite busy during those two years, mostly learning survival skills, mastering navigation routes, and striving to become a model independent polar bear.

Though learning all this didn't necessarily guarantee independence, not learning it would certainly mean dependence.

So, of course, he studied diligently.

Just in case he and Otis ever broke up, with his good looks, snowy-white fur, and solid skills, it wouldn't be hard to find another partner.

Poor Otis would never know that his beloved little bear had ever entertained such thoughts.

Not that Qiao was serious—he was just thinking casually. Truthfully, if he ever did part ways with Otis, he wouldn't look for another partner.

There was no better polar bear in the Arctic than Otis, just as there was no cuter little bear than him.

Qiao stood on a rock by the water, looking at the tall, strong reflection of himself.

To him, there was nothing wrong with a 1,000-pound bear calling himself a cute little bear.

At four and a half years old, he had grown to about 600 kilograms, slightly smaller than Otis when he was in the rescue station.

But among bears his age, he was on the larger side—an outstanding example.

Even grown-up Qiao was still chubby.

Fortunately, in the animal world, being fat was a sign of cuteness, even when it came to finding a mate. It indicated that the bear had plenty to eat and was capable of hunting.

Living in the Arctic, Qiao's anxiety had a new focus: muscle.

Over these two years, Otis's weight had steadily increased. Other than his weight, his personality hadn't changed much.

This was normal for animals; once they passed their formative years and established their social persona, they would carry it into old age.

If there were changes, they would be subtle.

Over the past two years, Otis had only grown more powerful and intimidating, his presence even more imposing. He also seemed more reserved.

That was it.

Everything else was steady, including his feelings for the little bear. Otis, calm as ever, had been unwaveringly devoted to Qiao for three years.

Perhaps that's the benefit of dating a polar bear.

They had just come out of another heated spring, though it had been another season of frustration.

Even the patient Otis, who didn't really care to push Qiao around, couldn't help but explore Qiao's lower abdomen three times a day during the spring.

He'd use his nose to check, then his taste buds, and finally believe that Qiao still wasn't mature.

Qiao was a bit helpless, unsure how to tell Otis to stop expecting anything—he wouldn't mature until next spring.

And he had every reason to worry that with Otis checking him every day, his little brother might be too scared to ever come out.

As for the research station's activities over the past two years, the recording work continued as always.

There hadn't been much change among the staff, though a few new members had joined.

They wished them well in their work at the pole.

Since following Otis and Alexander two springs ago, they hadn't focused on them during the past two spring seasons.

Knowing that Otis was no longer interested in other females, the researchers predicted that the spring of 202X, when Alexander reached sexual maturity, would be the next time they would consider following them.

For now, they didn't disturb the "little" couple much.

Or maybe "big" was a better term. As Alexander grew, his weight reached an impressive level, making him and Otis a well-matched pair.

No one had to worry anymore that Otis might accidentally crush the once-small Alexander.

The objective truth was that Alexander and Otis together could likely be considered the strongest force on the polar continent.

This was an advantage no other male polar bears had.

One more thing worth mentioning—after Alexander grew up, his beloved little yellow bucket had become too small for him to wear on his head.

But Alexander hadn't abandoned it; he still seemed to like it very much.

Some fans offered to fund a larger bucket for Alexander as a gift.

The research station politely declined, saying it wasn't necessary. Alexander might not like it anyway.

And so, the idea was dropped.

Yes, Qiao remembered when he had fished the little yellow bucket out of the ocean, reducing marine litter while gaining a new treasure for himself—a win-win.

A gift wasn't needed.

Drowsy from sleep, the little bear woke up to the sound of ice being pushed around. He quickly ran to the water's edge, eager to watch the spectacular natural display.

This was because the thin layer of ice on the water had been pushed by a large wave.

A massive wave had such force that it pushed the ice onto the more solid layers, forming sharp, strange shapes.

Like crystal towers, they reflected all sorts of light in the sunlight.

Qiao had seen this many times, yet it never got old.

As soon as he heard the commotion, he ran out like a child waiting for a movie to start.

Otis, on the other hand, didn't seem as interested. If he happened to be awake, he would join Qiao, but to him, it didn't really matter where he was.

If he was sleeping, he'd just move to a quieter spot and continue his nap.

But the noise from the ice being pushed around was a bit too loud, so Otis just lay on an iceberg, closing his eyes to rest, but unable to fall into a deep sleep.

Even though Otis knew the little bear was no longer in danger, his long-standing habits seemed deeply ingrained in his mind.

So far, he still insisted on staying within 20 meters of the little bear, never taking his eyes off him.

Unless Qiao sneaked off to hunt, like now.

Qiao enjoyed the spectacular scene on the water, then decided to go hunt a seal.

He glanced at the large figure napping on the iceberg, careful not to wake him, and slipped away quietly.

But he hadn't gone far when he glanced back and saw that big guy, still sleepy-eyed, following him.

Otis looked like he hadn't fully woken up yet.

Qiao couldn't help but feel a little helpless. His polar bear boyfriend was perfect in every way, except for being a bit clingy.

After a while, Otis woke up fully, his eyes regaining their sharpness.

He caught up to the little bear, and his demeanor instantly softened as he affectionately nuzzled Qiao, then took over the responsibility of leading the hunt.

Qiao knew then that he wouldn't have to work today—just another day of being a trophy wife and cheerleader.

Not that he minded. It wasn't bad, really.

Though he knew Otis could afford to feed him and wasn't burdened by it, and that Otis was more than happy to do so, he couldn't help but feel a bit smug.

Still young at heart, the little bear playfully bumped his fluffy rump against Otis's own furry backside.

'Hehe, let's go hunt!'

Otis, ever the calm and serious bear, usually didn't react to Qiao's playful antics.

Under the sunlight, his pupils dilated slightly, but he remained composed.

Of course, he did glance at the little bear beside him.

Qiao behaved for a while, but as they walked, his attention shifted to Otis's tail.

Polar bear tails are quite short, only about 10 centimeters long.

They look a lot like rabbit tails, irresistibly cute.

It had been a while since Qiao had tugged on Otis's tail.

This time, Otis didn't hold back. His eyes widened, and he chased Qiao across the ice.

"Rawr rawr!"

Once again, Qiao Qixi showed the polar community what it meant to be both playful and a crybaby.

Otis: '...'

Pinning the little bear beneath him, Otis seemed a bit lost.

Letting him go just like that didn't feel right.

After a brief standoff, Otis relented. He gently nibbled Qiao's ears, first one, then the other, before letting him go.

Qiao didn't quite understand Otis's habit of nibbling his ears. Why bite them at all, and why switch between them?

'So strange.'

After their playful scuffle, both bears felt hungry. They finally remembered to continue their hunting plans.

Before their "conflict," their sharp noses had already picked up the scent of a nearby seal, just waiting to meet them.

But after all the excitement, they sniffed the air again, and there was no scent of a seal anymore—not even a hint of seal droppings.

Clearly, the plump seal they had smelled earlier had slipped away.

Qiao gave Otis a playful kick: 'Rawr rawr!'

'This is all your fault.'

Otis glanced around, but there was no sign of the seal.

It seemed it really was gone.

As he calmed down from the excitement, Otis lowered his head, looking disappointed as he licked his lips.

Qiao chose a direction and continued walking, trusting his instincts that there would be another seal that way.

Otis followed, determined to steal the little bear's catch.

Qiao's instincts were spot on. After about three kilometers, he caught the scent of a seal again.

Otis, walking beside him, caught the scent too.

'...' Qiao blocked Otis's path with his chubby body, refusing to let him move forward.

He wasn't about to let Otis steal his prey again.

Otis tried to go around him, but Qiao blocked him again: 'Rawr rawr!'

Otis could only sigh in exasperation.

Qiao placed the little yellow bucket in front of Otis, assigning him the task of guarding it.