The gentle sea breeze blew softly, rustling the leaves of the low bushes along the shore.
It was an ideal time for a nap, but after only seven hours of sleep, far short of Qiao Qixi's usual wake-up time, he was roused by the sounds of a scuffle.
Opening his eyes, he saw Otis still lying peacefully beside him, fast asleep. This meant that Otis wasn't involved in the commotion.
Otis might have heard the noise too, but his white ears remained perfectly still, indicating that he had tuned out the external disturbances.
Always curious about what was happening around him, the little bear lifted his head to look in the direction of the noise. He soon spotted the mother bear sparring with her cub.
To be precise, it seemed she was training her cub in combat techniques.
It's often said that a polar bear's greatest enemy is another polar bear, so naturally, a young bear must learn how to fight its kind—an essential survival skill.
The mother bear Qiao Qixi observed was quite fierce, showing no mercy as she swung her large paws, sending the little bear flying with a few hefty swipes. Qiao Qixi winced at the sight, his heart aching with empathy.
*Ouch, doesn't that hurt?* The cub is still so small, and their size difference makes it clear that it's no match for the mother's strength!
Qiao Qixi couldn't bear to watch. He wondered if this harsh treatment was typical of all polar bear mothers, or if this particular mother was just exceptionally tough. What about father bears?
With his still swollen face, Qiao Qixi trembled, filled with a growing sense of unease. Although he wasn't fully rested, the sound of the cub being tossed around kept him from falling back asleep.
Perhaps it was because of a sense of kinship with the other young polar bear that he couldn't shake off the fear that Otis might one day treat him the same way.
*Learning to fight is essential, sure, but does it have to involve being thrown around like that?*
At that moment, Otis woke up, likely stirred by the surrounding noise. His eyes still held traces of drowsiness, making him appear more harmless than usual, with none of the intimidating aura of the Arctic king.
Otis's first reaction upon waking was to tighten his embrace around Qiao Qixi, pulling him close before licking the fur on his head. Only then did he fully wake up.
Having been used as Otis's cuddle pillow for days, Qiao Qixi was well accustomed to Otis's wake-up routine. Normally, he would be uncooperative, but today, disturbed by the sounds of the cub being disciplined, he unexpectedly leaned into Otis's embrace, seeking comfort.
*Hey, Otis, the mother bear next door is roughing up her cub,* Qiao Qixi wanted to say, hoping to convey, *I'm so obedient, cute, and I eat so little—you'd never want to do that to me, right?*
Usually, if Qiao Qixi didn't snuggle with Otis, he'd end up getting licked three times a day. But now that he was actively seeking affection, he was promptly rewarded with a thorough, affectionate licking.
After some time, with both of them covered in each other's saliva, Qiao Qixi finally relaxed, feeling reassured that Otis had accepted his affectionate overtures. At least for now, there seemed to be no risk of him being tossed around like the unfortunate cub next door.
The contrasting treatment served as a wake-up call for Qiao Qixi. He realized that practicing survival skills needed to be prioritized.
They hadn't practiced before because they were always on the move, hungry, and lacking the conditions to do so. Besides, Otis hadn't shown any inclination to teach him how to hunt. But now that they had the opportunity, it was time to get serious.
YOU ARE READING
You Plan to Kill me with Meng?
RomanceSYNOPSIS: Qiao Qixi woke up one day to find himself transmigrated as a polar bear and he merely took more care of the injured bear next door when the other side see him in a different light. A gay... bear? Later he found out his guess was right. Shi...
