POLAR BEAR ARC CHAPTER 14

The tide rose and fell several times, and it seemed that about half a day, or maybe a full day, had passed.

The wind on the sea was gentle, and compared to the winter wind, the animals preferred the early summer breeze.

Of course, Otis didn't feel anything about this. If he had the choice, he would probably choose to stay in winter forever.

In his memory, whenever such gentle winds blew, it meant that hunting would become more challenging.

But for him, it was still manageable.

Otis licked his paw, while his other arm rested on the back of the little polar bear, who had his face buried in Otis's chest, sleeping soundly.

This was one of the strangest things about this cub—he actually liked warmth, whether it was winter or summer.

Very strange.

The current temperature was a bit hot for Otis, especially around his chest and belly, like he was holding a little heater.

But Otis seemed to ignore this heat and continued to hold the sleeping cub, enjoying the time to rest after their long journey.

About half an hour later, Qiao Qixi woke up for the second time. He opened his sleepy round eyes, gave a big yawn, and then stretched his body.

He kicked his hind legs, feeling that the soreness in his muscles had already faded, and his fur was fluffy again.

Qiao Qixi thought that his snow-white fluffy fur should now have a hint of the sun's scent.

To confirm this, Qiao Qixi, with a very scientific spirit, rubbed up against Otis, buried his face in Otis's fur, and took a deep sniff. Sure enough, it smelled of sunshine.

And Otis's unique scent, which to Qiao Qixi signaled safety, comfort, and reliance, smelled very good to him.

Otis also stood up and stretched. They needed to leave quickly. Going too long without eating would affect their condition for the migration. They couldn't afford to drag out the journey, especially with a cub in tow.

Seeing Otis heading toward the sea, Qiao Qixi immediately put on his little bucket, feeling a bit regretful that his freshly dried fur would get wet again.

The sleepy little polar bear jumped into the sea and immediately perked up, following closely behind Otis.

To shorten the distance between islands, sometimes they would swim over reefs, where the water was full of seaweed that looked quite scary from above.

Those black shadows, like twisted strands, posed a danger of entanglement for marine animals, so they had to be particularly careful.

Otis wouldn't let the seaweed entangle the cub. He would use his massive body to clear the way ahead, or he would steer them around dangerous areas, even if it meant increasing the distance.

It's well known that the sea has undercurrents and whirlpools. If they accidentally got too close, not even polar bears—or even whales—could escape danger.

Generally, the route polar bears took avoided such hazardous areas, and they also stayed away from shark-infested regions.

And they had to pick the right days.

If they sensed strong winds approaching, they wouldn't easily go into the sea.

But during this season, the Arctic Ocean was relatively calm.

It was a good time for a journey.

So, being a polar bear wasn't easy, and being a polar bear with a cub was even harder.

Having swum for dozens of kilometers, Qiao Qixi thought that being a cub wasn't easy either. The second leg of the journey was already more than 50 kilometers, and he was exhausted before they even reached the shore.

After pushing himself a bit further, the little polar bear couldn't help but let out a whimper, catching the attention of the huge polar bear in front of him.

Otis, who hadn't paid much attention to Qiao Qixi before, immediately swam back when he heard the sound. He dived under Qiao Qixi's belly, surfaced, and lifted the cub.

With the help of the water's buoyancy, Qiao Qixi borrowed some of Otis's strength to keep swimming. The difference from before was that now he could slack off a bit, paddle lazily, and rest every few minutes.

This way, it wasn't as exhausting.

Compared to the first resting island, the second island was indeed farther away, but this one had plants growing on it, and there was a reef cluster by the sea, making it a larger island.

Seeing the reef cluster, Qiao Qixi was overjoyed and began planning what to eat as they approached, even though he knew he wouldn't get full, it would at least satisfy his cravings.

The island wouldn't have large mammals for them to hunt, only the ever-present seabirds to fill their stomachs if they weren't too picky.

But seabirds were considered the least desirable food by polar bears. Otis might prefer to stay hungry until they reached their destination rather than stoop to catching seabirds.

Considering that he was no longer a carefree bachelor, Otis, though not entirely willing, still caught a seabird on the island and brought it to the little polar bear, who was digging for oysters by the shore.

Qiao Qixi looked at the bird, smacked his lips, and with a doubtful look in his eyes, seemed to tell Otis, "You can eat this ugly thing yourself..."

Otis, smart enough to pick up on Qiao Qixi's meaning, decided not to eat the bird and released it, as he didn't want to eat it either.

Eating seabirds meant plucking feathers, or they would choke on them.

The bird, which seemed large, was mostly bones after plucking, with barely any meat.

Otis didn't like it.

The bird wasn't even dead yet, and Qiao Qixi couldn't help but admire Otis's skill. Despite his rough appearance, Otis could be described as daring yet meticulous.

He wasn't unwilling to do delicate work; sometimes he was just lazy.

One couldn't help but wonder which fierce mother bear raised such a unique cub. Was he an only child?

Based on various clues, Qiao Qixi guessed that Otis probably wasn't an only child. At least he must have grown up with siblings.

Only then would Otis know that cubs needed care because he had seen it.

Were Otis's siblings and mother still living in this area? Where had they scattered?

Qiao Qixi suddenly became curious about these questions. It was a shame not to have accurate answers.

Just like he couldn't explain to Otis that he used to be a top student with scholarships. Impressive, right?

Scallops and oysters wouldn't fill him up, but they could indeed replenish nutrients and help restore the energy he had lost.

While Qiao Qixi focused on eating his little snacks, Otis, who didn't want to exert much effort, ate some seaweed to fill his stomach. He didn't even bother to find the tastier kinds, eating only the large, easy-to-pick varieties.

Seeing some seaweed, he remembered that Qiao Qixi liked it, so he picked a bunch to bring back.

Receiving the seaweed, Qiao Qixi happily fed Otis two pieces of scallop muscle. Otis seemed to enjoy this; it was the only shellfish he liked.

The scallops here were large and tasted good, sweet, and juicy, and could help hydrate.

Otis licked his lips after eating, his eyes squinting with satisfaction, which could be described as enjoyment.

However, he only tasted it. When Qiao Qixi offered more, he refused, instead affectionately rubbing his head against Qiao Qixi, encouraging him to eat more.

#Where Did Otis and Alexander Drift to Today?#

The aerial footage showed the big polar bear lazily lying on the reef while the little polar bear was in the water, busy doing something among the reef cracks.

"Hahaha, is it digging for shells?"

"This scene looks like a big dumpling stuck in the rocks."

"Yes, Alexander is digging for shells. It's very skilled at this, clearly a habitual offender. It even shares with Otis. Their bond is truly enviable."

"Why is Otis sleeping?"

"Probably to regain strength. He sometimes has to carry Alexander while swimming, which is very tiring."

"So cute, these two little sweethearts are both pitiful and lucky."

"Having a companion makes the hardship seem bearable. Keep going!"

"I wonder where Otis chose for their summer coast. It shouldn't be too far, right?"

Qiao Qixi thought so too. It shouldn't be too far, right?

After two ocean marathons, he was tired. If this continued, he feared his chubby limbs would develop solid muscles.

Imagining a polar bear with an eight-pack, Qiao Qixi quickly shook his head. That didn't fit his aesthetic.

Otis allowed the little polar bear to stay in the reef cracks for most of the day before grabbing him by the scruff and carrying him back to shore.

They needed to sleep further from the coast.

The reef was just for napping.

Otis chose a dry, elevated spot where he could see the surrounding area well.

Sleeping under the bright sun was routine for Qiao Qixi, who had forgotten what the night felt like.

Everything from the past seemed distant.

Even the life at the rescue station felt like a dream.

It seemed like he had always lived in the endless ocean and ice.

This meant Qiao Qixi didn't dislike his new life; in fact, he quite liked it.

In his dreams, he and Otis reached a suitable summering ground. The temperature there was around -10 degrees, with a high of 10 degrees—a scorching summer.

The surrounding polar bears complained about the heat, needing to jump into the water to cool off.

Qiao Qixi: ...Is it really that hot?

10 degrees

, in his opinion, still required a cotton coat.

No, he suddenly thought of a question. Even in summer, he slept next to Otis.

Would Otis be hot?

So he curiously asked Otis, who told him, yes, it was hot.

10° is a heatwave for polar bears.

Qiao Qixi then asked, "Then why do you still sleep next to me?"

Otis thought for a moment, tilting his round, deep black eyes to look at him...

Just as Qiao Qixi was about to get an answer, a flock of seabirds startled him awake.

The absurd dream faded away, and beside him wasn't the talking polar bear, but the real Otis, who was living according to his instincts.

No, Qiao Qixi thought, Otis wasn't just following instincts—at least in raising him, Otis showed a very special personality.

Even though he hadn't been close to other polar bears, Qiao Qixi was certain that Otis was different.

He affectionately hugged Otis's neck, thinking about the dream he just had. So, Otis would be hot?

In the dream, Otis said yes.

Then why did they still sleep together?

In the dream, Otis didn't answer because Qiao Qixi woke up. He decided that next time he dreamed, he would keep pressing Otis for a clear answer.

A day passed, and the two polar bears, deep in sleep, enjoyed a good rest on the island.

Then they continued their migration south.

When they were first released, they were taken to islands near the eastern coast of Greenland. As the ice began to melt, they went further north, chasing the last of the ice.

Back then, the ground was all ice, and the polar bears didn't need to swim to get around.

Now that the ice had melted, they had to swim back to the more food-rich coastlines of Greenland for the summer.

Fortunately, there were islands along the way to rest. After some hard work and effort, the polar bears returned to the coast.

Otis and Qiao Qixi were no different, swimming and resting. Despite the great difficulty, they saw the light at the end of the tunnel.

The continuous coastline that came into view finally provided a sense of safety and gave them the motivation to push on.

Were they finally there?!

If they didn't reach the destination soon, Qiao Qixi thought, all his fat would be left behind in the sea.

Otis remained as steady as ever, showing no emotional change as they neared the destination. He didn't slack off and continued to carry the cub without hesitation.

His care for Qiao Qixi was as consistent as ever, even more cautious. He only swam to shore after ensuring it was safe.

The moment they landed, Qiao Qixi dragged his chubby body, gasping for breath, and flopped onto the ground, thinking, "I'm going to sleep for three days and three nights!"

No one should wake me up.

Except for meals, of course.

Revised ✔