Ye Yunian ran as fast as he could, but he was still a step too late.

Apple Bear had already engaged the intruder in a fierce fight. The nearby low-hanging branches were crushed under their weight, and the sound of their roars echoed throughout the forest.

This was Ye Yunian’s first time seeing the male panda who had intruded on their territory up close.

The intruder was massive, his fur sleek and thick, clearly much more imposing than Apple Bear. But despite this, Apple Bear wasn’t at a disadvantage.

Thanks to his vast hunting experience, Apple Bear had immediately tackled the other panda to the ground, pinning him beneath his weight.

However, the intruder was stronger, and Apple Bear couldn’t keep him down for long. The rival panda quickly struggled to his feet and launched a fierce attack, biting down on Apple Bear’s arm.

Seeing this, Ye Yunian panicked. Without thinking, he leaped from a high perch and threw himself at the intruder. Using both his hands and feet, he latched onto the other panda’s head, biting down hard on one of his ears while delivering swift slaps to both sides of the intruder’s face with his paws.

Each hit landed with a solid thud.

Although Ye Yunian was still just an adolescent panda, his weight and strength were significant. His slaps, landing squarely on the intruder’s head, left the other bear dazed. Startled by the sudden assault, the intruder released his grip on Apple Bear’s arm, just as Ye Yunian smacked him once more across the mouth.

The intruder bared his teeth, ready to bite Ye Yunian.

But before he could act—BAM!—Ye Yunian delivered another powerful blow with his paw.

Realizing that another juvenile panda had joined the fight, the intruder was confused. This panda is not even fully grown yet! Why is he attacking me? And why is he only targeting me?

Ye Yunian’s relentless attacks left the intruder’s head throbbing. Distracted and weakened, the intruder loosened his hold on Apple Bear, giving Apple Bear the chance to bite the intruder’s throat and pin him back to the ground.

Ye Yunian, caught off guard, was thrown off the intruder and tumbled to the ground. Luckily, the terrain was flat, and apart from a few broken branches, there were no sharp rocks. With his thick fur cushioning the fall, he wasn’t hurt.

Without wasting time, Ye Yunian jumped back up and let out a low growl before rushing back to help.

While Apple Bear held the intruder down, Ye Yunian stood on his hind legs beside them, using his paws to punch the intruder’s belly repeatedly.

If it had been a one-on-one fight, the intruder wouldn’t have been intimidated at all.

But the problem was—it was two against one!

After being hammered in the head by Ye Yunian and now having his belly pummeled, the intruder was dizzy and seeing stars. With Apple Bear’s teeth clamped around his throat, he realized that if the fight continued, he would surely lose.

When it comes to choosing between life and food, any animal will always choose survival.

Letting out a roar, the intruder summoned his strength and swiped at Apple Bear’s abdomen, using the force to flip him over.

Apple Bear winced in pain, loosening his bite.

Taking advantage of the moment, the intruder broke free from Apple Bear’s hold. He didn’t hesitate and quickly fled into the depths of the forest.

Before Ye Yunian could react, the intruder had already disappeared from sight.

The air was still thick with the scent of blood, but it wasn’t Apple Bear’s. The intruder had clearly been injured during the fight.

Ye Yunian sniffed the air carefully and realized the intruder was swiftly leaving their territory.

Does that mean… they won?

Ye Yunian couldn’t believe it. The fight hadn’t even lasted that long!

It’s all thanks to Apple Bear, he thought.

Panting heavily from the exertion, Ye Yunian turned, excitedly ready to nuzzle Apple Bear with his head in celebration.

But just then, a stronger scent of blood hit his nose.

This scent wasn’t coming from the intruder—it was far too familiar.

Ye Yunian froze, staring blankly at Apple Bear in front of him.

Apple Bear had already stood up. Still breathing heavily from the intense fight, his body trembled slightly with each breath, his fur matted with debris and dirt.

But those battle scars were nothing compared to the liquid dripping steadily from his abdomen.

Apple Bear was injured.

Ye Yunian’s pupils contracted.

When did this happen?

He had been fine when he pinned the intruder to the ground…

Could it have been when the intruder flipped Apple Bear over and swiped at him?

Ye Yunian hurried forward, calling out to Apple Bear anxiously.

He nudged Apple Bear with his nose, trying to get him to sit down so he could inspect the wound.

But Apple Bear simply stepped back and didn’t sit as Ye Yunian had hoped. Instead, he took a deep breath and gently licked Ye Yunian’s head affectionately.

The pungent scent of blood was overwhelming, and it made Ye Yunian’s eyes sting with tears.

He cried out urgently, but after licking his head, Apple Bear didn’t make any further moves. Instead, he turned and prepared to leave.

Panicking, Ye Yunian bit down on Apple Bear’s arm.

Where do you think you’re going?!

You’re still bleeding!

Apple Bear stopped in his tracks, looking surprisingly alert despite his condition, his eyes still bright.

But Ye Yunian knew that if the bleeding wasn’t stopped soon, Apple Bear would lose too much blood, fall into shock, and potentially die.

Apple Bear had intended to leave because he was worried the smell of blood would attract other predators.

If Apple Bear stayed, Ye Yunian would be in danger.

But Ye Yunian understood Apple Bear’s intentions and was determined not to let him leave.

He pushed against Apple Bear with all his strength, forcing him to sit down after several attempts.

Without wasting a moment, Ye Yunian leaned down to examine the wound on Apple Bear’s belly.

The abdomen, the softest part of the body, had been raked by the intruder’s claws, leaving several gashes of varying depths.

The deepest cut stretched from Apple Bear’s chest to his stomach, almost as long as half of Ye Yunian’s arm. The wound gaped open, with blood continuously oozing out.

Luckily, none of his internal organs were exposed.

That was a small blessing.

But now, the most urgent task was to stop the bleeding.

Ye Yunian’s mind raced.

What could he use to stop the bleeding?

Medical gauze and bandages…

Wait!

Herbs!

Dandelions and thistles…

These herbs can stop bleeding!

Fortunately, Ye Yunian had always been fond of exploring the flora around their territory and knew where to find dandelions.

“Meh, meh!”

He called out to Apple Bear in a stretched tone.

Stay here. I’ll be right back!

Without hesitation, Ye Yunian ran downhill.

He moved so quickly that he didn’t notice the rocks beneath his feet. He tripped and tumbled down the slope, scraping his arm against the exposed stones, but he didn’t stop. He scrambled back to his feet and kept running.

Apple Bear was waiting for him. There was no time to waste.

It was autumn, the perfect season for dandelions, and their white tufts were scattered everywhere. Ye Yunian hurriedly pulled them up, using both his paws and his mouth.

In no time, he had gathered a large bundle and dashed back to where Apple Bear had been.

But when he arrived, Apple Bear was gone.

Wasn’t he supposed to wait here?

Where did he go, wounded like that?

Panicked, Ye Yunian stomped his feet in frustration. Fortunately, the scent of blood was still heavy in the air. He followed the trail and soon caught sight of Apple Bear’s slow-moving, bleeding figure in the distance.

Ye Yunian let out a long call, hurrying over to him.

Apple Bear stopped, and Ye Yunian quickly ran in front of him.

Nudging Apple Bear with his head, he managed to get the bear to sit down.

There was no time to be angry with Apple Bear. Although Ye Yunian was frustrated, he immediately began chewing the dandelions.

The bitter taste filled his mouth, but Ye Yunian didn’t care. He spat out the chewed herbs and carefully applied them to Apple Bear’s wound.

The bleeding continued, and soon the green juice from the herbs turned red with blood.

Ye Yunian didn’t stop chewing.

Even after using up all the dandelions he had gathered, the wound still hadn’t stopped bleeding.

Dandelions weren’t enough.

He needed thistles, stronger herbs to stop the bleeding.

Ye Yunian wasn’t an expert in herbal medicine, but he had studied basic herbal knowledge for a past project and recognized thistles.

Taking a deep breath, he looked into Apple Bear’s eyes.

“Wuu wuu yiyi—”

Stay here. You must stay!

Your wound is too serious—you need to stop the bleeding!

Ye Yunian whimpered urgently, worried that Apple Bear wouldn’t understand his message. To emphasize his point, he carefully sniffed Apple Bear’s wound before looking up at him with concern.

Apple Bear, exhausted from the fight and blood loss, was in bad shape.

The fight had drained his energy, and the wound that wouldn’t stop bleeding left him feeling weak. He could sense his condition worsening.

He wanted to leave this place quickly, but for some reason, the small bear in front of him was refusing to let him go. Instead, the little bear had applied a bunch of unknown plants to his wound. Now, Ye Yunian stood before him, flailing his arms and making strange noises. His eyes were glossy, filled with moisture, as though tears might spill out any second.

Looking at Ye Yunian, Apple Bear suddenly felt a pang of discomfort—not from the pain of his wound, but from the expression on Ye Yunian’s face. Apple Bear couldn’t fully understand the emotions behind it, but he didn’t want to see Ye Yunian looking so upset.

Feeling a bit lost, he looked at the small bear, wanting to reach out his tongue to lick him, to comfort him somehow. But before he could do that, Ye Yunian suddenly ran off in a hurry, calling out as he left, “Meh, meh!”

Apple Bear understood the meaning behind that sound: I’ll be back soon.

Should he wait here for the small bear, then?

Breathing heavily, Apple Bear looked down at the wound on his chest. It seemed like the plants applied to the wound were working—the bleeding had slowed. However, he knew that in his current state, he wouldn’t be able to protect Ye Yunian if danger arose. Staying would only put the little bear in more danger.

But…

Apple Bear tilted his head slightly, inhaling the lingering scent of the small bear in the air. The smell was comforting, and he suddenly felt reluctant to leave. Ye Yunian had promised to return soon, so perhaps he could wait just a little longer. There were no other invaders in the area for now. If someone did approach, he would leave then.

Exhaling heavily, Apple Bear leaned against a tree, his breath labored.

…

Finding a specific herb in a dense forest wasn’t easy, especially since Ye Yunian had no idea what thistle actually smelled like. He had to inspect each plant that resembled thistle, one by one.

He didn’t know how long he had been searching, but eventually, he spotted a plant hidden among the thorny bushes that looked very much like thistle. The leaves were jagged and sharp like thorns.

This must be it!

Without hesitation, Ye Yunian pushed through the thorns, ignoring the scratches they left on his face—one of which almost grazed his eye. Squinting against the pain, he reached forward and bit down, pulling the plant up by its roots.

Once out of the thorny thicket, Ye Yunian inspected the plant closely.

Yes! This was definitely thistle.

But would one be enough? Were there more nearby?

Now familiar with the scent of thistle, Ye Yunian began sniffing around, searching for more. His efforts paid off—he found several more growing nearby. Not knowing how much thistle would be needed to stop the bleeding, he decided to pull up every plant he could find. With a mouthful of thistle, he raced back to Apple Bear.

This morning, after waking up, Ye Yunian and Apple Bear’s territory had been invaded by a strange bear. Since then, Ye Yunian hadn’t eaten anything. Normally, he would have run out of energy by now, but today, he didn’t feel tired at all.

All he could think about was the injured Apple Bear.