When Ye Yunian woke up, the sky had already turned completely dark. The cool evening breeze carried a faint mist, making the air feel refreshing and comfortable.

He turned over on the ground, reluctant to get up from his cozy nest.

Apple Bear, sensing that the little cub next to him had woken up, let out a soft growl.

Ye Yunian knew this meant it was time to eat, but feeling playful, he buried his head into Apple Bear’s soft belly fur, acting spoiled.

Since summer began, Ye Yunian had stopped clinging to Apple Bear when they slept—after all, it was too hot, and sticking to each other was unbearable. But the temperature in their new territory was perfect. Even cuddling up close to Apple Bear didn’t make them feel too warm.

He rubbed his face against Apple Bear’s thick fur, savoring the comfort for a bit longer, before finally emerging from the bear’s embrace.

Fully recharged, Ye Yunian was ready to start his “mealtime bear mode.” He jumped to his feet and scampered out of the cave, with Apple Bear following at a steady pace behind him.

As Ye Yunian approached the nearby bamboo grove, a familiar scent hit his nose—Apple Bear’s scent. He was taken aback for a moment before realizing that Apple Bear must have marked the bamboo grove while he was asleep. Not only that, but it seemed the cave they had just slept in had also been marked.

After taking a closer sniff, Ye Yunian confirmed it—Apple Bear’s scent was all over the area.

Did this mean their new territory was officially claimed?

Ye Yunian turned to look at Apple Bear, who was walking over with his usual calm stride. As he passed by, Apple Bear paused, puzzled as to why Ye Yunian had stopped walking. He bent down and gave Ye Yunian’s head a quick lick.

Delighted, Ye Yunian twirled around in place. No more searching for a territory—hooray!

Excited, he ran into the bamboo grove and rolled on the ground. Apple Bear could tell Ye Yunian was happy, though he didn’t quite understand the reason.

But to Apple Bear, it didn’t matter. As long as the little cub was happy, so was he.

After they had eaten, Apple Bear took Ye Yunian back to the cave. Once Apple Bear had cleaned Ye Yunian’s paws and fur, he stood up and walked toward the entrance.

Ye Yunian let out a big yawn, knowing Apple Bear was heading out to patrol the territory. This new land was rich in resources, with a large water source nearby, making it prime real estate for any animals looking to settle.

To prevent other giant pandas from accidentally wandering in—or worse, intentionally trying to take over—patrolling had become essential.

Of course, it wasn’t just about warning other pandas. Leaving the scent of a powerful panda would also deter potential predators from entering the area.

Back in their previous territory, Apple Bear had considered taking Ye Yunian along on his patrols. But the land was vast, and covering such distances was exhausting. More importantly, Ye Yunian was still just a small, harmless cub. Even if he marked the territory with his scent, it wouldn’t intimidate others.

In fact, it might attract trouble—other pandas might smell his scent, recognize the lack of threat, and challenge them directly.

After a couple of patrols, Ye Yunian stopped going altogether. Apple Bear, being lenient, took on the patrolling duties by himself.

Ye Yunian had grown used to Apple Bear heading out alone every day. But even so, he couldn’t help but worry. No matter how tired he was, he would stay alert, listening for any sounds nearby until Apple Bear safely returned.

When Apple Bear came back, Ye Yunian would always rush over to inspect him, making sure he wasn’t injured. Only then would he relax and go back to sleep.

Tonight was no different.

When Apple Bear returned, Ye Yunian rushed up and carefully examined him. After confirming that Apple Bear was unharmed, he happily dropped his head onto Apple Bear’s soft belly. It was a light touch, full of unspoken intent.

Apple Bear understood immediately and sat down. Ye Yunian’s head slid comfortably onto Apple Bear’s stomach, and with a satisfied yawn, he quickly drifted into sleep.

As June arrived, the temperatures continued to rise, signaling the onset of summer. The heat not only brought warmer weather but also an abundance of food.

During this time, Ye Yunian noticed that the bamboo grove seemed to be teeming with bamboo rats. And not just any bamboo rats—these ones were plump and looked especially tasty!

While Ye Yunian had no interest in bamboo rats, Apple Bear loved them. So whenever a bamboo rat happened to scurry by while Ye Yunian was eating bamboo, he’d quickly stomp it underfoot. His touch was light, just enough to keep the rat from escaping. Then, he’d turn excitedly to Apple Bear and let out a couple of eager calls.

After a while, Apple Bear began to understand Ye Yunian’s signals. Whenever he heard those excited sounds, he’d drop whatever he was doing, rush over, and bite down on the bamboo rat trapped under Ye Yunian’s paw.

With the bamboo rat hunts going so smoothly, Ye Yunian’s confidence soared. He started setting his sights on bigger prey, like wild rabbits.

While Ye Yunian didn’t like bamboo rats, Apple Bear would occasionally catch him other small animals to provide him with protein. Back when they lived near the river, Ye Yunian used to catch fish on his own, so Apple Bear didn’t have to worry.

However, their new territory lacked fish. Though the waterfall’s pool was deep, it wasn’t suitable for fish to live in. Occasionally, there were crabs, but Ye Yunian had learned the hard way that crabs were too tough to eat. After getting fooled once, he ignored them completely.

Hunting larger animals took too much time and effort, so Apple Bear mainly focused on catching wild rabbits and chickens. Once, he even caught a weasel.

However, the weasel’s smell was so bad that Ye Yunian refused to eat it. Apple Bear agreed that the weasel’s meat tasted strange, so he never caught another one. Thus, Ye Yunian’s diet settled on wild rabbits and chickens, with the occasional snake if they were lucky.

Over time, Ye Yunian’s hunting skills improved significantly, and by the end of August, his success rate had greatly increased.

But it wasn’t just his hunting skills that improved. His ability to find wild fruits and raid beehives also advanced by leaps and bounds.

No matter where the fruits were—whether on a cliff edge or surrounded by thorns—Ye Yunian always found a way to gather them and bring them back to share with Apple Bear.

As for raiding beehives, Ye Yunian had learned his lesson. The first time, he didn’t run fast enough after taking the honey and got stung in the eye, turning him into a squinty bear for a week!

But now, Ye Yunian was much more skilled. As soon as he grabbed the honey, he’d bolt, often outrunning the bees. If things went wrong and the bees caught up, he’d dive into the waterfall pool, leaving only his nose above water to breathe.

Once the bees gave up, Ye Yunian would emerge with his prize and happily trot back to Apple Bear.

Although the honeycomb would be a bit soggy, the honey inside remained just as delicious.

One day, after a summer of adventures, Ye Yunian went to the pool for a drink and realized something—he seemed to have grown taller! Not only that, but his body had filled out as well.

Excited, Ye Yunian ran to find Apple Bear.

Apple Bear was busy chewing on bamboo when Ye Yunian arrived. He stopped what he was doing and turned to face the little cub.

Ye Yunian grabbed Apple Bear by the arm, pulling him to his feet. Though confused, Apple Bear cooperated, standing up as Ye Yunian eagerly compared their paw sizes and heights.

After a thorough examination, Ye Yunan concluded—he had indeed grown!

His head used to just barely reach Apple Bear’s neck fur, it now stood noticeably higher. Although he still wasn’t as tall as Apple Bear, it was clear proof that he had grown!

Overjoyed, Ye Yunian nuzzled against Apple Bear, letting out excited bleats.

Apple Bear watched him, finally realizing that Ye Yunian was celebrating his growth.

For the first time, Apple Bear responded with an excited call of his own.

The two giant pandas spent the entire summer in their new territory. As the last trace of summer heat faded and autumn arrived, Apple Bear showed no signs of moving.

Only when the temperature dropped further, or when the first snowfall came, would Apple Bear lead Ye Yunian to migrate to lower altitudes.

For now, their current territory still had enough resources to last them through the fall.

Autumn winds swept away the dried leaves, carrying with them the scent of ripe fruits. And on one crisp morning, an unfamiliar presence blew in with the breeze.

Before Ye Yunian even noticed anything unusual, Apple Bear had already tensed up, alert and on guard.

A visitor had arrived—an adult male giant panda.