Apple Bear was a typical action-oriented giant panda.

After deciding to move to a new territory, and having finished his fish and cleaned his paws and face, he headed to the stream to call for Ye Yunian, who was still catching fish.

By now, Ye Yunian and Apple Bear had developed a bit of mutual understanding.

For example, at this moment, Ye Yunian could tell that Apple Bear was signaling it was time to leave.

Ye Yunian was confused.

Hadn’t they just arrived in this bamboo forest?

Why were they leaving again?

Ye Yunian wasn’t sure how many days had passed, but they hadn’t even eaten a third of the bamboo shoots here. Why switch territories so often?

He didn’t understand and didn’t want to leave, either. After all, he had just gotten better at catching fish, and just earlier, he had spotted a particularly plump one in the water!

It was even fatter than the first fish he had caught.

Why leave now? Couldn’t they wait until he caught that fat fish?

Standing in the water, Ye Yunian stared at Apple Bear on the bank, his gaze filled with reluctance.

Apple Bear stood silently by the shore, patiently waiting for Ye Yunian.

When it came to waiting for Ye Yunian, Apple Bear had always been patient.

In the end, it was Ye Yunian who gave in during this silent “standoff” between two pandas.

Grumbling with dissatisfaction, he splashed his way out of the water, his wet paws squelching as he walked toward Apple Bear, making little noises of protest.

As soon as Ye Yunian reached the shore, Apple Bear approached him and began licking the water droplets off his fur.

Ye Yunian’s grumbles grew louder.

“Whee, whee, whooo—” he whined in a long string of complaints.

Though Apple Bear couldn’t understand the meaning behind Ye Yunian’s sounds, he knew enough to recognize the younger panda was displeased.

Stopping his grooming, Apple Bear lifted his head slightly and sniffed the air.

After a moment, he started walking in a certain direction.

Ye Yunian watched Apple Bear’s back and let out an even louder whine.

Leaving already? That’s all the comfort I get?

Ye Yunian’s face was a picture of unhappiness.

Apple Bear paused after a few steps, his usual habit, and glanced back to check on Ye Yunian.

Only then did Ye Yunian sigh softly, reluctantly trotting over to follow him.

Still sulking, Ye Yunian mischievously shook his wet fur, spraying water droplets everywhere.

Although Ye Yunian wasn’t as tall as Apple Bear, water droplets don’t care about height.

With a good shake, water sprayed from his fur, catching Apple Bear completely off guard.

For a split second, something like surprise flashed in Apple Bear’s shiny black eyes.

Ye Yunian, knowing Apple Bear well enough to be sure he wouldn’t get in trouble, continued to mischievously rub his still-wet fur all over Apple Bear’s warm, thick coat.

Honestly, Apple Bear’s fur was so warm and plush, like a big fluffy blanket. Rubbing against it felt especially comforting.

As Ye Yunian continued to rub against Apple Bear, his mood gradually lifted.

Ah, being fluffy is truly the best!

Unable to resist, Ye Yunian buried his head into Apple Bear’s thick fur and took a deep breath.

Comfortable!

When he lifted his head again, his eyes met Apple Bear’s deep, gentle gaze.

Those black eyes were beautiful, and at this moment, they were quietly watching him, radiating a kind of warmth.

Throughout Ye Yunian’s antics, Apple Bear had stood still, letting the younger panda vent his frustrations on him without moving an inch.

Their eyes locked for a moment, and Ye Yunian suddenly felt touched.

How could Apple Bear be so patient and kind?

Moved by this, Ye Yunian began to reflect on his behavior—perhaps he was being a bit immature.

After all, Apple Bear wasn’t related to him, yet he had accepted Ye Yunian following him, shared his food, and even fed him at times.

Apple Bear had been nothing but good to him!

And most importantly, as a strong and experienced wild panda, every decision Apple Bear made must have a reason.

If Apple Bear decided they should leave now, it must be because he had sensed something.

But here Ye Yunian was, throwing a tantrum just because he couldn’t catch fish.

That was really unreasonable of him!

Feeling grateful, Ye Yunian looked at Apple Bear’s handsome face and couldn’t resist stepping forward, sticking out his tongue to clean the water droplets near Apple Bear’s eyes.

I won’t throw a tantrum anymore.

Ye Yunian said to himself.

With their heads close together, Apple Bear sniffed Ye Yunian.

Once he confirmed that Ye Yunian was no longer upset, he seemed to relax and gently licked the water droplets off Ye Yunian’s fur.

And so, the two pandas sat by the riverbank, grooming each other’s fur.

Once they were both mostly dry, they finally resumed their journey.

This time, Ye Yunian had no complaints.

Little did he know, Apple Bear’s reason for leaving this time was purely selfish!

The small, bony fish with barely any meat were far too unappetizing. Apple Bear simply couldn’t stomach eating them anymore.

However, since Ye Yunian enjoyed them, he figured it wouldn’t hurt to take the young panda somewhere with better fish.

Having lived in the wild since leaving his mother at two years old, Apple Bear was well-versed in the mountains and forests around him.

He knew of a place where the river ran deep, and the fish were much larger and tastier.

Especially after April, when the fish spawned, catching these big, fat fish became incredibly easy.

Apple Bear had spent some time there last year.

At first, he had planned to claim that area as his territory, but ultimately, he had to abandon the idea for one reason.

He had encountered a few upright apes—there were traces of human activity there.

Even though the signs of humans were few, as a wild animal, Apple Bear wanted no contact with them.

So after spotting a few humans, Apple Bear had decisively left and found a new territory.

But now…

Apple Bear glanced at the little panda following him.

Ye Yunian was an incredibly curious creature, fascinated by every plant and animal in the wild.

Each time they moved to a new territory, Ye Yunian would stop to inspect flowers, grasshoppers, and birds along the way.

At this moment, Ye Yunian had been mesmerized by a beautiful butterfly, standing motionless in front of a patch of flowers, observing it intently.

After a while, he quickly caught up to Apple Bear, affectionately rubbing his head against him.

Wild animals rarely engage in deep thought, and most of the time, they don’t have their own plans.

But at this moment, Apple Bear was indeed thinking for himself.

He rationalized that going to catch a few fish didn’t necessarily mean they would run into humans again.

More importantly, the weather was warming up, and soon they would have to move to higher altitudes.

To make this little panda happy, perhaps he could take him to catch a few delicious, fat fish.

With this thought, Apple Bear made up his mind and changed direction.

Ye Yunian, who had been rubbing his head, nearly stumbled.

??

Huh?

Why are we changing direction again?

When it came to moving territories, Ye Yunian rarely had an opinion. Usually, he simply followed Apple Bear wherever he went.

So, even though Apple Bear suddenly changed course, Ye Yunian followed him without hesitation.

However, this time the journey seemed particularly long.

Ye Yunian had initially thought they would arrive after half a day of walking, but now, after walking for most of the day, it seemed Apple Bear still had no intention of stopping.

Apple Bear, being considerate, always kept an eye on Ye Yunian.

Whenever he noticed that Ye Yunian was tired or hungry, he would pause to rest or forage for food.

Once Ye Yunian was rested, they would continue their journey.

But the problem was, Ye Yunian was getting really sleepy!

For the past few days, he had been obsessively practicing his fishing skills, often skipping naps to spend more time by the stream.

Now, with all the walking they had done today, Ye Yunian was exhausted, trailing behind Apple Bear and barely able to keep his eyes open.

Apple Bear, noticing Ye Yunian’s condition, stopped and sniffed the air, glancing at the darkening sky.

They were almost there. They could reach their destination before nightfall.

But Ye Yunian was too tired to take another step.

Seeing that the younger panda had stopped moving, Apple Bear hesitated briefly before walking over to gently nudge him with his nose.

Ye Yunian, his eyes drooping with fatigue, knew that now wasn’t the time to rest. With Apple Bear urging him, he had no choice but to muster his energy and continue walking.

Fortunately, this time, they didn’t have much farther to go. Soon enough, Apple Bear stopped at a gentle slope.

Ye Yunian, too tired to even open his eyes, tentatively flopped down onto the ground.

After a few seconds of waiting, and with Apple Bear not nudging him to keep moving, Ye Yunian realized they had finally arrived.

The moment that thought crossed his mind, he instantly fell asleep, completely exhausted.

Apple Bear glanced back to see Ye Yunian already fast asleep.

He originally planned to catch some fish, but Ye Yunian was already asleep.
　　Forget it.
　　Let’s wait until tomorrow.
　　Apple Bear walked over to Ye Yunian and lay down.
　　In his sleep, Ye Yunian smelled a familiar sent, and moved his head to Apple Bear, and put his head on Apple Bear’s arm.
　　The two pandas entered a sweet dream together.