POLAR BEAR ARC CHAPTER 45

Qiao Qixi stopped looking at the female bears, and only then did Otis give up tugging at his ear and fur. This behavior made Qiao suspect that polar bears could actually get jealous.

To test this absurd theory,Qiao—no, we should call him "Bold Qiao"—continued to stare intently at the next female bear they encountered.

The result? Don't ask. He regretted it.

His ear hurt a lot.

It was ridiculous. Turns out, polar bears really do get jealous—or maybe it's just Otis, this one-of-a-kind polar bear.

Either way, Qiao decided he wouldn't dare look at other female bears again.

Between May and June, after their indulgent period, the two polar bears worked hard on the ice, hunting to feed each other.

With time running short, even before their migration south, they hadn't regained all the weight they'd lost during spring. That was Qiao's first regret.

The second? He hadn't found a cub.

That left him feeling rather down. After all these years in the Arctic, he hadn't even touched a single baby bear. In the quiet hours of the night, Qiao would grow angrier and angrier about this, even kicking Otis in his sleep.

It wasn't Otis's fault that they hadn't found a cub, but since Otis was sleeping so soundly right next to him, Qiao took it out on him.

Otis woke up from the kick, stretched his neck lazily, and licked Qiao's face, as if asking, "What's wrong?"

Facing Otis's gentle eyes, Qiao suddenly felt like he was being unreasonable.

He gave Otis a kiss. "Nothing, nothing, go back to sleep."

But Otis thought Qiao was bored and needed some playtime to cheer up, so even though he was a bit tired, he forced his heavy eyelids open to keep Qiao company for a while.

Once he was well-rested, it was back to the daily grind—hunting and providing food.

Since they hadn't fattened up in the last two months, this summer wasn't going to be one for slacking off.

The sun was intense, and Qiao placed the little yellow bucket in the shade of a tree to protect it from the direct sunlight.

In the blink of an eye, the yellow bucket had been with him for many years. Its color was no longer bright, and soon it would likely start to wear out and crack.

This thought saddened him.

It wasn't just Qiao worrying about the yellow bucket; everyone who followed this polar bear couple had grown attached to the bucket and wished it well, hoping it could "stay healthy."

"Such a lovely sight," a researcher smiled as they watched the two big white bears strolling side by side on the beach through a drone. They bumped into each other playfully, which made the researchers smile even more.

Yes, their relationship was truly heartwarming.

In the Arctic, there were countless sad stories, but the long-term love between Otis and Alexander was the story that had soothed many hearts over the years.

After such a long period of observation, people had come to know that Alexander loved to be spoiled, was a bit mischievous, and avoided eating fatty meat; Otis, on the other hand, was calm, steady, and secretly playful, always unable to resist Alexander's teasing.

They were truly a perfect match.

As they made their way to the southern coast, Qiao still hadn't given up hope of finding a cub. In his dreams, he longed for a lone cub to appear so that both "Papa Qixi" and "Papa Otis" could love and care for it.

Really, if they ever found a cub, that little one would live the best life in the entire Arctic—just like he had when he was young.

Perhaps Qiao's desire was so strong that, not long after, he and Otis encountered a... juvenile bear.

The bear looked like it had just left its mother, and it still seemed a bit unsteady in its solo life.

'This isn't exactly what I wanted,' Qiao thought. 'But if I can't get a cub, an adolescent bear will do.' He wanted to ask, "Do you mind having two dads now that your mom's gone? We're great hunters and can teach you everything!"

But as soon as the juvenile bear saw them, it turned and fled, clearly frightened.

"..." Qiao felt a wave of defeat wash over him. 'Do we not look like good bears?'

Qiao didn't think so. Every time he looked at his reflection in the water, he thought he was the cutest thing ever. If there was a problem, it must be with Otis.

Releasing that intimidating aura must've scared the juvenile bear away. Qiao gave Otis a kick, but Otis remained unfazed, blinking as if he hadn't even felt it.

With Otis being such an uncooperative spoiler, Qiao's "adoption" plan was indefinitely postponed.

Eventually, Qiao came to understand: Otis simply didn't like cubs. Picking Qiao up all those years ago had been, in a way, destiny—something that would only happen once in a lifetime.

Since Otis wasn't interested in adopting a cub, Qiao, as his partner, accepted that and gradually let go of his own "not-so-pure" intentions to adopt, which were really just an excuse to cuddle a cub.

In the end, two bears in one family were plenty. Plus, it saved on food.

Speaking of longevity, that little yellow bucket was impressively durable. It lasted another three or four years without cracking from old age, though Qiao did accidentally smash it against some rocks, leaving a crack in it.

He was heartbroken for a long time.

But there was nothing he could do. The bucket was bound to wear out eventually, whether this year or next—it was only a matter of time.

Otis, faced with the cracked yellow bucket, seemed puzzled.

But Qiao felt it was time to say goodbye. He thought about tossing the yellow bucket into the sea and letting it enjoy one final journey of freedom before it was inevitably picked up by a trash boat.

As the bucket floated away, Qiao heard a splash—Otis had jumped into the water, swimming after the yellow bucket.

"..." Qiao was stunned. Without hesitation, he jumped in as well, swimming toward Otis.

Before long, Otis returned with the bucket in his mouth, proudly presenting it on the shore, his face wet and looking expectantly at Qiao.

Qiao had been about to scold him for being silly, but seeing this, how could he bring himself to do so? He was too moved for words. 'This silly bear—doesn't he know this will make me all emotional?'

Qiao rubbed up against Otis, trying to explain that the yellow bucket was broken and they couldn't keep it anymore.

It was time to let it go.

Of course, Otis didn't understand concepts like freedom or separation. But when he saw Qiao solemnly carrying the yellow bucket to the water's edge and gently pushing it out, perhaps in that moment, Otis understood.

He walked up to Qiao's side, watching as the once-bright yellow bucket slowly drifted away with the current.

"Goodbye, little yellow bucket."

Qiao stood up and waved his paw at it, not caring whether there was a drone filming him or not. He simply did what he felt was right.

Did Qiao ever regret letting the bucket go?

Of course, he did.

While foraging for sea urchins by the rocks afterward, Qiao suddenly smacked his paw against his leg. 'Why didn't I keep it to store sea urchins?'

For what it's worth, sea urchins tasted pretty good—aside from having too many spines.

As fate would have it, one of the spines pierced the delicate skin between Qiao's paw pads, causing him to wince in pain and whimper softly.

Foodies are bound to get hurt in pursuit of a meal.

After finishing the sea urchin in his paw, Qiao limped over to Otis, showing him his injured paw. "Oww."

Otis immediately began licking Qiao's paw, but after a while, he couldn't find the wound—just a lingering taste of sea urchin.

Otis licked his lips, looking helplessly at his whimpering partner.

Not long after, the researchers at the station noticed something missing: Alexander's beloved yellow bucket was no more. They assumed it had finally broken.

Although it was a pity, parting ways seemed inevitable.

Without the yellow bucket, life went on as usual for Otis and Alexander, though the absence of that familiar splash of yellow always made it feel like something was missing.

Thinking about it now, it was hard to believe that so many years had passed since Alexander was a cub.

Each year, new colleagues joined the research station, and the old ones would reminisce, telling stories of Otis and Alexander's early days so that no one would forget how adorable Alexander had been as a cub.

So, even though the yellow bucket was gone, it lived on in everyone's memories.

For a long time, it also lived on in Otis's memory. Whenever he got up and saw that Qiao wasn't carrying the bucket, he would instinctively start looking for it.

It took him about half a year to finally break the habit.

But that wasn't the end of it. Eventually, Otis began paying attention to the things washed ashore, occasionally bringing back items like balls, rubber ducks, and plastic bottles for Qiao.

Qiao was tempted to keep the little rubber ball—it was fun to play with, after all.

But it was too round and hard to hold, so he eventually kicked it back into the sea after playing with it for an afternoon.

"Don't like any of them?"

Otis looked a little disappointed, probably thinking that Qiao only liked items similar to the yellow bucket.

About a year later, Otis finally found a replacement for the yellow bucket: a little pink beach bucket.

Qiao stared at the new item Otis brought back.

"..."

But in the end, he accepted it, feeling quite happy about it inside.

The new bucket was smaller, but it was perfect for holding two seashells, which he treated like pets.

Seashells: 'Are we sure we're not food?'

Finally, the drone captured footage of Alexander once again carrying a little bucket in his mouth—this time, a very small, pink one, looking absolutely adorable.

Fans were overjoyed for Alexander but also regretted their assumptions. 'Who said he wouldn't accept a new bucket? Look, he's already carrying one! If we had known, we would've sent him one!'

With a new bucket came a new start. Alexander was happy for a while, but the pink bucket was thin and made of flimsy plastic. It probably wouldn't last until winter.

But no matter how many buckets Alexander went through, one thing remained constant: he and Otis were always together.

In their home, Otis was the main breadwinner, hunting for both of them. This continued until Otis turned 28, when Qiao started noticing signs of Otis slowing down. Though not drastic, it was clear that Otis, despite still being strong, was no longer the bear he used to be.

Qiao didn't care. He had been trying to take over as the "head of the family" since Otis was 25, and after three years of effort, he had finally succeeded.

From now on, he decided what they ate at every meal.

Ringed seal: 'No matter what you decide, you're still eating me!'

Most polar bears, by the time they reached 28, were considered elderly, with their physical functions in decline and death potentially imminent.

Otis was doing quite well, though. Aside from handing over more hunting responsibilities to Qiao, everything else remained normal.

He even continued taking Qiao up the snowy hills each spring.

Otis was growing old, but his heart remained young and romantic.

Qiao: 'Ptui! Climbing hills? It's just a little snow slope!'

It barely took them two hours to go up and down.

'When you're old, you should admit it.'

Otis still wanted to climb the snowy hills. Maybe he thought he still could, but Qiao stopped him.

He was only allowed to climb small snow slopes.

Otis accepted it, thinking that perhaps Qiao enjoyed the smaller hills, so they stuck to those.

In reality, Otis was still in good health.

Qiao's years of careful care had undoubtedly played a big role in this.

Of course, Otis's good genes helped, too. He could likely live many more years as long as food remained plentiful.

Qiao was only three years younger than Otis. When he first took over as head of the family, he was excited. But after six months, he started feeling afraid and uncertain.

He feared he wouldn't be able to provide for Otis and that Otis's final years would be bleak. So, he worked harder than ever each day, trying to catch as much food as possible.

That was how he kept his anxiety at bay.

After each successful hunt, Otis would carefully lick the blood off Qiao's face and fur.

He had been doing this for over 20 years.

Alexander had now become the primary hunter for their family, and the researchers had taken note of this change.

They speculated that Otis could no longer participate in hunting, leaving Alexander to fend for them both.

It was true: 'You raised me as a cub, now I'll care for you in old age.'

On their screens, the researchers watched as Alexander led the way, checking on Otis and telling him to rest while he went to hunt seals.

But Alexander, too, was an aging bear.

This realization tugged at the researchers' hearts.

Year after year, the staff at the research station changed—some retired, some resigned—but one thing remained constant: everyone remembered Otis and Alexander.

And they all worried about how their final years would play out.

In recent years, a polar bear sanctuary had been established in the Arctic, dedicated to caring for disabled and elderly bears who could no longer care for themselves.

Currently, over ten polar bears reside there.

The sanctuary had reached out, offering to take in Otis and Alexander.

The sanctuary had been funded by the Polar Bear Foundation, which spent large sums annually to maintain it.

Otis and Alexander had contributed greatly to the foundation's efforts. Many people had taken notice of the polar bear population and the Arctic's ecosystem because they loved this particular pair of bears.

Over the past decade or so, the Arctic environment had gradually improved, particularly in terms of marine pollution, ocean trash, and poaching—those issues had been completely eradicated.

As Qiao and Otis strolled along the coastline, they could see the improvement in their home year after year.

It seemed that humanity's environmental efforts were paying off.

If they could live another 30 years, even if it was difficult, they would still want to stay in this polar wilderness.

Watching the tides rise and fall, the clouds drift by.

With these thoughts in his heart, Alexander and Otis were both hit with tranquilizer darts on a lazy summer evening.

When they woke up, they found themselves in the polar bear sanctuary—or rather, a retirement home.

The two wild polar bears, now captured, looked at each other in confusion, completely unaware of what had happened.

'Poachers?'

'Fans with a sack?'

Neither. Qiao soon spotted humans in uniform, with badges on their chests. 'Oh, it's an official organization. No need to worry.'

'What's a polar bear sanctuary?'

'Are they going to take care of us in our old age?'

Qiao was thrilled. When he first arrived in the Arctic, he had wished he could stay in a rescue center, being pampered and fed for life.

After wandering the wild for over 20 years, had they finally arrived at a place where they could enjoy a carefree retirement?

Excited, Qiao kicked Otis, his eyes sparkling with joy: 'Darling, we're set for our golden years, trust me!'

Otis, being a bit older, still hadn't fully shaken off the effects of the tranquilizer. By the time he regained his energy, it was mealtime.

The staff had placed a large amount of fish and meat at the feeding station.

A group of old, gray, and chubby polar bears began to gather from all directions—around ten to twenty bears in total.

Otis immediately tensed up, only to relax after sniffing the air and realizing they were all elderly or weak bears.

No threat at all.

Qiao made the same observation: '...'

He tucked his paws in and thought, 'So this is an old, weak, and disabled bear retirement home?'

While he and Otis were certainly old, they were still strong and didn't quite fit in with the other bears here.

What was the sanctuary thinking?

'They should have brought us here a few years ago!' Qiao thought. 'Regular, scheduled meals? Isn't that wonderful?'

Qiao nudged Otis and grinned, 'Come on, let's go eat.'

The two still-imposing wild polar bears strode toward the food, and the other bears automatically gave way.

Qiao winked at Otis before bending down to grab a large piece of meat, slowly savoring his meal.

Inside, he was overjoyed.

From this day forward, they were the bosses of this retirement home.

Of course, they wouldn't bully the other elderly bears.

By this age, most polar bears didn't fight anymore. There was no need to compete for food or mates, so why fight?

In fact, some bears even lived together in pairs, each having their own friends to hang out with after meals.

Naturally, Qiao spent his time with Otis. They couldn't wait to explore the sanctuary and see how big it was.

Otis was eager, too. He still wasn't used to being surrounded by so many unfamiliar scents.

After filling their bellies, they set off.

It was early summer, and the temperature wasn't too high. There was still a thin layer of snow on the ground.

They walked for a long time until they could no longer smell any other bears.

It seemed the sanctuary was quite vast.

Yes, it was very large.

With only 20 bears living there, the area was more than enough for them to roam freely.

They could return for meals when it was time, but they didn't have to.

Otis found a spot he liked—a small wooden cabin built by the staff.

Of course, there was no food inside, but it made a nice place to sleep.

Qiao lay on the wooden floor, remarking: 'No wonder this is a retirement home—they really know how to set up all the amenities.'

Indeed, near the cabin was a large, natural lake with fish in it.

But for elderly or weak bears, hunting would be difficult. Why bother when you could have guaranteed meals delivered?

Qiao decided that from today on, he was officially retired. No more hunting.

Although, he glanced outside the cabin at a distant patch of bushes, smacking his lips. 'Maybe I'll still go dig up some beehives from time to time.'

Overall, he was very satisfied with the retirement home.

And Otis likely was, too.

This year's southern migration had already been tough for Otis, and he wasn't sure if he could manage the swim back in another year or two.

If he couldn't make the journey, Qiao would have to go on alone.

Otis knew he would eventually be left behind.

Left to wait for death on the barren land.

Qiao had thought about this long ago: 'No way. If Otis can't make the swim, I'm not leaving him to face the end alone.'

'If we're going to die, we'll die together. What's the difference between living one more year or two more years?'

'If Otis isn't with me, what's the point of living?'

Now, they didn't have to worry about such things. In this peaceful environment, Qiao calculated that he and Otis could live many more years.

'Alright, after a nap, we'll explore some more.'

'I wonder if there's a little snow slope here?'

Hehe, even if there wasn't much to do, just snuggling and cuddling with Otis until next spring would be wonderful enough.