A ray of sunlight broke through the gaps in the leaves, landing perfectly on Ye Yunian. The morning forest was filled with the chirping of birds. Sitting on a tree branch, Ye Yunian tilted his head in confusion.

It had been almost ten hours since he last ate, and after being disturbed by the sudden visit of the “Apple Bear” last night, he hadn’t slept well either. Now, Ye Yunian was both mentally and physically exhausted, and all he wanted was a good meal.

But what exactly was happening now?

Ye Yunian frowned, scrunching his bear face. Was the Apple Bear really trying to trade bamboo shoots for apples? That seemed to be the case, right?

He definitely wasn’t mistaken. Hmm… since when were wild pandas so polite? Weren’t they supposed to just take what they wanted?

Hadn’t the Apple Bear eaten enough with those fifty-plus apples last night?
The name Apple Bear was correct!

Though the other bear didn’t seem to have bad intentions, Ye Yunian wasn’t planning on coming down from the tree just yet. Sure, the Apple Bear seemed to be making a friendly gesture, but what if it was all a trick?

What if, as soon as he climbed down, the Apple Bear snatched his apples and chased him off? Then Ye Yunian would have lost both the apples and his pride!

He wasn’t a gullible little bear.

The two bears stared at each other from a distance. The atmosphere was a bit strange, but not hostile. Maybe because this was the second time they had met and the Apple Bear hadn’t tried to attack him, Ye Yunian felt less afraid of this stranger.

Fine. If the Apple Bear wanted to stare, they could stare at each other all day. Ye Yunian might be timid, but he wasn’t about to lose in terms of sheer presence!

After a while, perhaps realizing it wasn’t going to get a response, the Apple Bear made the first move to leave. It glanced down at the bamboo shoots it had placed on the ground, then turned and walked into the forest. Soon, it disappeared from view.

Ye Yunian didn’t leave immediately either. He waited until the Apple Bear’s scent faded, barely detectable in the air, before slowly dragging his bag of apples down from the tree.

With the Apple Bear gone, this was a golden opportunity to grab his apples and make a run for it!

After laboriously dragging the apples to the base of the tree, Ye Yunian had initially planned to escape right away. But his hunger was gnawing at him, especially with a fresh bamboo shoot just a few steps away…

After only a moment’s hesitation, Ye Yunian put down the apple bag and headed toward the bamboo shoot. It was tender. With a gentle bite, he peeled off the outer layer.

Although it was already early March, in the mountains at an elevation of 2,000 to 3,000 meters, it was far from bamboo shoot season. Yesterday, Ye Yuenian had tried to find some bamboo shoots in the forest but had no luck. If you weren’t an experienced wild panda, finding shoots could be tough. He had no idea where the Apple Bear had found this one.

But Ye Yunian didn’t feel guilty eating it—after all, the Apple Bear had devoured over fifty of his apples last night!

After finishing the shoot in just a few bites, Ye Yunian’s hunger only intensified. But this wasn’t the time for a feast, so he quickly got up, dragging his apple bag as he continued down the mountain.

The paths in the deep mountains of the nature reserve were rugged, almost untouched by humans. Ye Yunian wanted to move faster, but the forty-pound bag of apples, combined with his hunger and exhaustion, soon had him collapsing onto the ground, out of breath.

So tired.

Flipping onto his back with his belly facing the sky, Ye Yunian grabbed two apples from the bag and started munching. Even after eating them, he still felt hungry. In fact, the slight acidity of the apples only increased his appetite, making him hungrier than before.

Sitting up suddenly, Ye Yunian thought to himself, I need bamboo!

That bamboo shoot the Apple Bear gave him was so delicious. Maybe he could get lucky and find some more?

With that thought in mind, Ye Yunian dragged his apple bag toward the nearby bamboo grove. But once again, he came back empty-handed.

To make matters worse, he had wandered into a patch of Nan bamboo, which was known for its toughness and wasn’t very tasty. The leaves were dry and lacked moisture, like eating hay. After a couple of bites, Ye Yunian spat it all out.

Too gross!

Frustrated and feeling a little wronged, Ye Yunian drooped his head and buried his face in his soft belly fur. He missed the base, missed the bowls of milk, the steamed buns, and the honey.

The softness of his belly soon lulled him into a deep sleep, exhausted from the lack of rest the night before and all the exertion that morning.

He was so out of it that he didn’t even notice when the Apple Bear’s scent began to draw closer.

It wasn’t until the Apple Bear was about a kilometer away that Ye Yunian snapped awake. Sticking his nose in the air, he sniffed deeply.

It was the Apple Bear!

Why was it back again?!

Scrambling to his feet, Ye Yunian prepared to make a quick getaway with his apple bag, but after taking just a few steps, a wave of fatigue hit him—both physically and mentally.

Forget it.

He gave up.

Sighing, Ye Yunian plopped back down on the ground. So what if the Apple Bear wanted his apples? Let it have them. What else could he do? He couldn’t beat it, so he might as well eat as many apples as he could before the Apple Bear arrived.

With that in mind, Ye Yunian started stuffing apples into his mouth. By the time the Apple Bear’s scent got closer, Ye Yuenian had already devoured more than ten apples.

As the Apple Bear’s scent grew stronger, Ye Yunian increased his speed, selecting apples faster and faster. He had to admit, while apples weren’t very filling, eating enough of them did have some effect.

When Ye Yunian was on his twelfth apple, the Apple Bear finally appeared in the bamboo forest, just a short distance away.

Ye Yunian glanced at the Apple Bear but didn’t bother acknowledging it. He just continued chomping on his apple.

However, something puzzled him. The Apple Bear didn’t approach but stopped about twenty meters away.

Curious, Ye Yunian looked up again, just in time to see the Apple Bear drop seven or eight bamboo shoots down a small slope, letting them roll into the grass.

What?

Ye Yunian’s eyes widened.

Where did the Apple Bear find so many bamboo shoots? He was jealous.

Frustrated, Ye Yunian took another bite of his apple, trying to tear his gaze away from the fresh bamboo shoots, but his eyes were glued to them.

The shoots looked tender, crisp, and juicy. They would definitely taste amazing.

As he thought about the delicious shoot he had eaten earlier that morning, Ye Yunian swallowed hard.

Should he go for it?

The Apple Bear seemed to be a fair distance away. He could probably eat at least one bamboo shoot before it returned.

Ye Yunian wanted to resist the temptation, but his hunger and instincts slowly drove him forward, inch by inch.

Finally, he was close enough to reach out and grab the nearest bamboo shoot.

With a determined bite, Ye Yunian peeled the bamboo shoot with lightning speed, stuffing it into his mouth in seconds. The juicy, crispy texture exploded in his mouth, and it was even more delicious than he remembered.

Before long, the first bamboo shoot was gone.

The Apple Bear hadn’t returned.

Maybe… just one more?

Unable to resist, Ye Yunian reached for a second, then a third.

By the time he was on his sixth bamboo shoot, he finally sensed the Apple Bear’s presence drawing closer.

Panicking, Ye Yunian grabbed one last bamboo shoot and ran back to his spot, stuffing one in his mouth and clutching the other as the Apple Bear reappeared.

But this time, the first thing Ye Yunian noticed wasn’t the bear—it was the two fresh bamboo stalks it had brought along.

Eyes wide, Ye Yunian watched as the Apple Bear set down the bamboo and settled itself against a tree, casually munching on the stalks.

Was it not going to chase him?

Ye Yunian looked at the bamboo in his paws and then back at the Apple Bear. Deciding to continue eating, he finished off the last of the bamboo shoots.

But they were small, especially since they were early spring shoots. It didn’t take long for Ye Yunian to finish them all.

His stomach rumbled. Pandas have big appetites, and Ye Yunian had been starving for a while.

His gaze drifted toward the Apple Bear again.

Why was it only eating the bamboo stalks? Why not the leaves? Bamboo leaves were so tasty!

Swallowing his saliva, Ye Yunian glanced at his bag of apples. Since the Apple Bear had traded its bamboo shoots for apples, surely it wouldn’t mind if he ate a few of its bamboo leaves, right?

Once the thought took root, he couldn’t shake it.

Driven by hunger, Ye Yunian stood up, grabbed two apples, and cautiously approached the Apple Bear.

He moved slowly, taking two steps and then pausing to gauge the bear’s reaction.

His eyes remained fixed on the Apple Bear, ready to retreat at the slightest sign of hostility.

But the Apple Bear, having clearly noticed Ye Yunian’s approach, didn’t react at all. It continued munching on its bamboo stalk, indifferent to Ye Yunian’s presence.

Was this permission to come closer?

Cautiously, Ye Yunian inched forward, closing the gap between them until he was just two or three meters away. This was a highly dangerous distance—if the Apple Bear decided to attack, Ye Yunian wouldn’t stand a chance.

But to his relief, nothing happened. The Apple Bear simply glanced at him, then lowered its head to resume its meal.

Letting out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding, Ye Yunian placed the two apples he was holding onto the ground. Then, his eyes shifted to the nearby bamboo stalks.

If he could take one of those and run, would the Apple Bear chase him? Maybe, just maybe, the bear would let it slide, considering he had left some apples as payment.

No time to think—hunger first!

With newfound determination, Ye Yunian lunged forward, clamping his mouth around one of the bamboo stalks. He tugged it free and sprinted downhill, the stalk dragging noisily behind him.

As he ran, he glanced back nervously. The noise had alerted the Apple Bear, which had lifted its head, staring after Ye Yunian with its dark, inquisitive eyes. The bear hesitated for a moment, as if confused by the sudden departure, but then resumed eating, seemingly unbothered.

Ye Yunian stopped in his tracks, astonished. What just happen?

He stared at the Apple Bear, who was now calmly gnawing on the remaining bamboo. It hadn’t made any attempt to chase him or reclaim the stolen stalk.

So I really did manage to snatch food from a bear?

A strange feeling washed over Ye Yunian. Maybe I misjudged you, he thought, glancing back at the Apple Bear, which seemed entirely unconcerned with him now.

You’re a good bear after all, Apple Bear.