Chapter 24: You Don’t Have This Opportunity

Fu Xijin paused, his brows furrowing.

Yue Su took a deep breath. “Maybe… it won’t hurt anyone.”

Fu Xijin’s voice dropped as he responded, “It’s an animal.”

Yue Su applied some pressure on her bow, forcing it downward.

“I believe it’s not the bear, it’s the situation.”

【Is Yue Su crazy? That’s a black bear!】

【I really can’t believe it, she’s not even afraid the black bear might swat the kid away.】

【Not much of a brain there, huh?】

Yue Su stood still, not planning to move closer.

“Yaoyao, let’s get ready to go back. You should let your friend go home, too.”

Yaoyao tilted her head back, looking at the black bear.

“It said it’s going to take us to gather honey.”

Yue Su blinked. “Gather honey?”

She knew black bears liked honey, but this was new.

Yaoyao nodded enthusiastically, not the least bit aware of how dangerous the black bear could be, even patting its belly affectionately.

“Mom, let’s go gather honey with it.”

Yue Su hesitated. “Maybe… next time.”

Yaoyao’s eyes widened. “But we have to gather honey today! If we don’t, we’ll be last!”

Yue Su: “…”

Being last didn’t matter, she really didn’t want to go gather honey with a black bear.

But Yaoyao, not giving her any chance, turned and called out: “Big Black, take us to gather honey!”

With a single command, the black bear obediently turned around, swinging its body as it led the way, followed by the two little ones.

Fu Xijin slightly narrowed his eyes, still holding his bow firmly.

He prided himself on his broad experiences, yet he was left speechless by the scene before him.

【Is this black bear some kind of spirit?】

【Is it really going to take Yaoyao to gather honey?】

【This can’t be some prank by the crew, right? Maybe a person’s inside that bear costume?】

【If it’s a person, the fur is way too realistic.】

Yue Su took a few deep breaths, trying to calm herself.

“Let’s go.”

Fu Xijin took the mushrooms from her hand and glanced at her with a deep look.

“Are you sure this won’t cause any problems?”

Yue Su and Fu Xijin walked one after the other, not too far, but not too close either.

Her gaze never left Yaoyao.

“Yaoyao… well, she’s quite approachable. Small animals really like her.”

Yue Su carefully chose her words, but it wasn’t just that she was “approachable.”

When she was two years old, she had even saved an elderly person being attacked by wild dogs. Under her command, the dogs had acted almost like they understood human commands.

Yue Su sometimes worried that because of this, her daughter might be taken into a lab for research.

Fu Xijin raised an eyebrow lazily. Small animals?

Whether it was the dolphins they had seen on the ship or the black bear that appeared today, none of them could be considered “small.”

It was only then that Yue Su glanced at him, noticing that aside from the mushrooms, he wasn’t carrying anything else. Surprised, she asked:

“Didn’t you go hunting?”

Her expression clearly said, “I thought you were more capable.”

Fu Xijin glanced at her. “There was too much to carry, so I had someone take it back for me.”

Yue Su was doubtful, clearly skeptical.

“Too much?”

Her open suspicion amused Fu Xijin, causing him to chuckle.

“I never brag.”

He emphasized the words, as though that would make his statement more convincing.

Yue Su gave a nonchalant “oh” in response, “I didn’t say anything.”

Fu Xijin: “…”

【Haha, but your eyes are saying it all!】

【Yue Su’s face is screaming: ‘I thought the bear could fly, but you’re just blowing hot air.’】

【She thinks Fu Xijin is bragging, but she also thinks he’s a rookie.】

After walking in silence for a while, Fu Xijin spoke again, “I’m not bragging.”

Yue Su nodded, her face full of confusion.

“I know.”

Yue Su walked while making subtle marks along the way.

They followed the black bear through the dense forest, where the trees were towering and the underbrush thick.

Xiao Ye seemed a bit afraid and tugged on her arm.

“Yue Su, do you think it’s dangerous?”

She was the only girl among the crew members, and although her physical strength and endurance were good, her combat skills were lacking.

If a fight with the black bear broke out, she wouldn’t be of much help.

Yue Su patted her hand gently to reassure her.

“There’s nothing to worry about. It’s not going to harm us.”

If the bear had wanted to attack, it wouldn’t have waited until now.

This black bear was different—it was leading them, not threatening them.

They passed through a thicket of thorny bushes, and the black bear used its body to shield the two little ones, making sure they didn’t get hurt.

When they came across a stream, the water was clear and sparkling, flowing smoothly over the rocks.

Yue Su scooped up a handful of water, feeling the coolness on her skin, like natural refrigeration.

But she didn’t dare drink it; she only used it to wash her face.

Xiao Ye sighed, “This water is so cool.”

They stayed at the spot for a moment before continuing forward.

The black bear led them to a place filled with wild grapes. The vines grew freely through the mountains, and clusters of dark purple grapes hung from them, tempting anyone who passed by.

The black bear, almost as if showing off, clumsily plucked a bunch of grapes and shoved them into Yao Yao’s hands.

[This black bear is definitely a spirit, right?]

[Honestly, I think it acts more human than I do.]

[My little goose must be so charming, even the black bear likes her.]

[This black bear has to be a person in disguise. You don’t really believe a wild bear can be this human, do you?]

[Who knows, I’d love to pick some grapes too!]

Yao Yao took a bite of one of the grapes, the sweet juice spreading in her mouth.

“Mama, it’s so sweet!”

Yue Su looked at the grapevine in front of her, her mind already calculating how much money the program crew would make off them.

She casually plucked a grape, wiped it on her sleeve, and stuffed it into her mouth.

It was 90% sweet with a bit of sourness, and the wild grape’s fragrance was even stronger. It was truly delicious!

“Let’s mark this spot. We’ll come back to pick grapes after we collect honey,” Yue Su said.

Yao Yao nodded enthusiastically, “Yes, yes, yes! Big Black, let’s go collect honey!”

The black bear slapped its belly and led them onward, finally reaching a place with a massive honeycomb hanging high in a tree.

This place wasn’t marked on the map, so the program crew clearly hadn’t found it yet.

Yue Su looked up, seeing countless huge honeycombs hanging from a towering tree. The honeycombs were suspended in midair, covered with swarms of bees.

The sight gave her goosebumps.

Although she wasn’t afraid of heights, this was just too high for anyone but a professional to climb.

Xiao Ye set down the equipment she had been carrying, revealing a folding bucket, a set of protective clothing, and a honey-harvesting tool.

Yue Su shook her head. “Maybe we should just forget it.”

Without professional guidance, the risks were too high.

Yao Yao tilted her head back, trying to see where the top of the tree was, but it was so tall she couldn’t even tell.

She seemed disappointed. Looks like they wouldn’t be collecting honey today.

“Mama, let’s go pick grapes instead.”

Fu Xijin put down his gear and looked up at the tree for a moment.

“I’ll give it a try.”

[Hahaha, is President Fu buying insurance?]

[Whale Industries: Boss, please consider our lives!]

[The insurance company is going to kneel and call him “Father” after seeing this.]

[I’m not kidding, it’s really high. President Fu, maybe you should just skip it.]

[Although it’s cool, I’m really worried he’ll fall.]

[Yuan Jin and Teacher Yi have already become monkeys. Although they had professional guidance, it was still nerve-wracking!]

Not to mention, Fu Xijin didn’t have any professionals with him—he was on his own.

Yue Su’s eyes tightened, her brow slightly furrowed.

“Maybe it’s better if you don’t. Or we could go find the honey marked on the map instead.”

Her voice sounded indifferent, but her clenched fingers revealed her concern.

Before Fu Xijin could speak, the black bear had already climbed the tree.

Though it looked clumsy, it was remarkably agile on the tree, moving up with the ease of a monkey.

Its thick fur and tough skin made it fearless in the face of the swarming bees. It reached out, grabbed a large chunk of honeycomb, and brought it down.

The black bear, acting almost like a spirit, took a bite of the honeycomb and, almost provocatively, tossed it toward Fu Xijin.

Yue Su: “…” It really has turned into a spirit.

Fu Xijin didn’t budge, slightly tilting his head to expertly dodge the flying honeycomb.

His calm demeanor and restrained aura only made him seem even more dignified.

He didn’t speak, but Yue Su could clearly sense his thoughts.

She hesitated for a moment, unsure if she should warn him.

It wasn’t until Fu Xijin was about to change into his protective gear that she spoke up.

“It’s wild by nature. You don’t have to compete with just a black bear.”

Fu Xijin paused, his dark eyes locking onto hers without a blink.

“You think I can’t make it?”

His phoenix-like eyes narrowed slightly.

[President Fu: You’d rather trust a bear than me.]

[Yue Su has doubted him twice. This man is really sensitive about winning or losing!]

[The more I look at them, the more they seem like a couple!]

Yue Su didn’t understand the man’s inexplicable competitive streak. After some thought, she tried to speak more gently.

“President Fu, if you fall, I can’t carry you out.”

Fu Xijin chuckled, a few strands of hair falling over his forehead, giving him a wild and unruly look.

“I don’t think you’ll get the chance.”