Ye Yunian slept straight from noon until dusk.

Before he even opened his eyes, he could feel a warm, soft sensation behind him, like a giant furry blanket covering him. It felt incredibly cozy. Unable to resist, Ye Yunian turned over, rubbing his face against the “blanket” behind him.

Just as he snuggled in, the “blanket” suddenly shifted slightly.

Ye Yunian froze for a moment, then opened his eyes and found himself staring directly into a pair of bright, shiny black eyes.

The two bears stared at each other for a moment before Apple Bear averted his gaze and soon closed his eyes again.

That was no blanket!

It was Apple Bear’s belly!

He had been sleeping with his head on Apple Bear’s stomach!

Suddenly, it all came back to Ye Yunian—after getting full and sleepy, he had dozed off on top of Apple Bear. And Apple Bear had actually let him sleep there the whole time without pushing him off!

Although Apple Bear had also fallen asleep, it was still surprising that he allowed Ye Yunian to rest on his belly. After all, for most animals, their stomachs are the most vulnerable part of their bodies, exposed only to those they trust the most.

They hadn’t known each other for long, and their relationship was limited to sharing food. They weren’t exactly close enough for such intimate behavior, right?

Could this mean that Apple Bear had truly accepted Ye Yunian?

This thought made Ye Yunian genuinely happy. Emboldened by the realization that Apple Bear had accepted him, he nudged Apple Bear again with his head, in a playful, almost coquettish manner.

Apple Bear felt the movement on his belly, opened his eyes, and looked down at the little panda resting on him.

Ye Yunian gave a soft, playful sound, his tone full of joy.

Pandas have intelligence comparable to that of a 5- to 7-year-old human child, meaning they can understand and think about their actions in daily life. When Ye Yunian snuggled into Apple Bear and made a sound of affection typically reserved for panda cubs calling to their mothers, Apple Bear responded in kind.

Slowly sitting up, he leaned down and gently licked Ye Yunian’s head.

Ye Yunian, unaware that Apple Bear now saw him as a cub, simply enjoyed the affectionate grooming, closing his eyes in contentment.

It was the most comfortable he had felt since being released into the wild.

Once Apple Bear finished grooming him, Ye Yunian, now fully awake, stood up and decided to head to the bamboo forest to dig up some shoots for a snack.

Apple Bear, yawning, remained where he was, watching Ye Yunian.

After shaking off the bamboo leaves stuck to his fur, Ye Yunian buried his nose in the ground, sniffing out the scent of hidden bamboo shoots. He had learned quite a few tricks from Apple Bear over the past few days, especially how to find bamboo shoots.

In no time, he located a buried shoot and began to dig with his paws.

But just as he started digging, a shadow darted out from the ground.

Ye Yunian, startled, leaped backward with all four paws off the ground, letting out a frightened yelp.

Apple Bear immediately stood up and sprinted toward Ye Yunian.

Still shaken by the sudden appearance of the shadow, Ye Yunian turned to call out to Apple Bear, only to see him dart past and lunge at something in the distance.

Wait, was Apple Bear… hunting?

Apple Bear twitched his ears and slowly rose from the ground.

Ye Yunian tilted his head and quickly ran over.

When Apple Bear turned around, Ye Yunian saw a plump bamboo rat dangling from his mouth.

Ohhh, so it was the bamboo rat that had scared him earlier!

Though pandas are known for eating bamboo, they occasionally hunt small animals, like bamboo rats or insects, to supplement their protein intake.

Despite having been a panda for a while, Ye Yunian still wasn’t fully familiar with their diet. So when Apple Bear tore the bamboo rat in half and offered him a portion, Ye Yunian reflexively backed away.

No thanks. Nope. Not eating that!

Apple Bear, confused by Ye Yunian’s refusal, tried offering the bamboo rat again.

Ye Yunian, shaking his head, backed up even further, signaling his firm rejection.

Apple Bear stared at him, puzzled. Was this little panda just picky? Did he not like bamboo rat meat?

What Apple Bear didn’t realize was that Ye Yunian’s refusal had less to do with being picky and more to do with the fact that the bamboo rat resembled a giant mouse. And it was raw.

Although Ye Yunian had come to terms with being a panda, his human sensibilities hadn’t completely faded, and refusing raw meat was one of his last remaining principles!

After a few more failed attempts to share his catch, Apple Bear gave up. He sat down and quickly devoured the rest of the bamboo rat on his own.

Meanwhile, Ye Yunian returned to digging up bamboo shoots. But before long, he felt a drop of moisture on his fur.

It was starting to rain.

This was the first time Ye Yunian had experienced rain since being released into the wild. He was momentarily confused—what was he supposed to do now? Should he find shelter?

Would his thick fur protect him from the rain?

Just as his thoughts were racing, Apple Bear let out a call. Ye Yunian looked up to see that Apple Bear was already walking away, as if bidding farewell.

Ye Yunian stood frozen in place.

He’s leaving just like that?

Hmph! He just sleeps and leaves—what a scummy bear!

The bamboo forest was dense, so the rain wasn’t falling too heavily, but Ye Yunian sighed, figuring he should probably find a place to take cover. Maybe he could hide in his apple bag?

He had eaten most of the apples in the bag by now—there were only a dozen or so left. The large bag could easily fit him.

But before he could act, another call came from Apple Bear.

Apple Bear had walked a little farther but stopped when he noticed that Ye Yunian wasn’t following. He turned around and called again, waiting for Ye Yunian.

Huh? Was he calling him to follow?

Ye Yunian’s eyes lit up.

I knew it! Apple Bear really is the best panda in the world!

Excited, Ye Yunian grabbed his bag and hurried after Apple Bear. He ran so fast that he couldn’t stop in time, crashing right into Apple Bear.

Ye Yunian stumbled, nearly falling over, but Apple Bear stood firm, unmoved by the impact.

Wow. So strong. So cool!

With a soft hum, Ye Yunian rubbed his head against Apple Bear, clearly pleased.

Apple Bear allowed him to nuzzle for a moment before turning to lead the way again.

Ye Yunian had no idea where Apple Bear was taking him, but wherever it was, he knew it would be safe as long as he stayed with him.

Back at the Hetaoping Base, the staff monitoring Ye Yunian’s movements noticed his signal suddenly begin to move quickly.

“Hasn’t Yunian been staying in the same place for the past few days? Where’s he headed now?” one of the staff asked.

His colleague pulled up the nearby terrain map, and both of them stared at it in shock.

“Isn’t this the territory of another male panda?”

“Why is Yunian moving toward another male panda’s territory?”

Concern spread among the staff. They worried that Yunian might encounter the wild panda and get into a fight. Yunian was still young—he wouldn’t stand a chance against a fully grown wild panda.

“Keep a close eye on Yunian’s infrared signal. If anything goes wrong, we’ll head out immediately.”

…

Unaware that he was still under close watch, Ye Yunian continued following Apple Bear through the forest for what felt like ages. As the rain intensified, Apple Bear finally stopped.

They had reached a steep mountainside.

Ye Yunian glanced around, confused. Why stop here?

Before he could figure it out, Apple Bear headed toward a concealed bush and disappeared behind it.

Wait, what?

Panicking, Ye Yunian quickly followed, pushing through the bushes.

To his surprise, he discovered a natural cave hidden behind the foliage.

Even before entering, Ye Yunian could smell Apple Bear’s scent everywhere—this must be his usual resting spot!

Excited, Ye Yunian dashed inside. The cave was spacious, easily big enough for two pandas. More importantly, the entrance was high enough that even heavy rain wouldn’t flood the cave.

Wow. Apple Bear is sharing his cave with me!

Overcome with gratitude, Ye Yunian dropped his apple bag and pounced on Apple Bear, rubbing against him affectionately.

Apple Bear, much calmer and more reserved than Ye Yunian, didn’t react to his playful antics. He simply lay down in his favorite spot and began licking the rainwater off his fur.

Seeing this, Ye Yunian remembered that his own fur was still wet.

Without hesitation, he plopped down in front of Apple Bear.

Apple Bear looked at him, confused.

Ye Yuenian blinked up at him and rolled onto his back, exposing his belly.

Well? What are you waiting for?

Help me dry off!

So shameless…