Deep affection knows no origin; remember the polar bear's love for you.

Chapter 163 Staying in That Afternoon

Slok dragged the seal away angrily, and on his way out, he boldly cursed Caesar:
"you are hopeless!"

Caesar glanced at the square tail that was faintly visible on the boy's swaying buttocks as he walked, and then looked away without interest after a couple of seconds.

He lay on the ice, stretched, looked at the small snowdrifts that had gathered in front of him, and took a deep breath, blowing the soft snowflakes into the air. One or two flakes landed on his nose, bringing a touch of coolness.

The male bear sneezed, raised its paw to rub the tip of its nose, and made a snoring sound.

Slok thought Gomi was angry, but Caesar felt something was off; he didn't think Gomi was angry.

Perhaps "irritable" and "feeling lost" are more accurate descriptions than "angry."
Although she received even more slaps than before, Caesar could clearly see that the anger in Guo Mi's round almond-shaped eyes was only on the surface; she was more likely panicked and helpless.

Her somewhat uncontrolled claws and erratic steps as she left implicitly confirmed this.

Thinking of this, a hint of smugness appeared in the male bear's eyes. He thought with pride that although Slok and Guo Mi seemed to have a better relationship, he understood her better than he did!

But after the initial smugness came even deeper confusion.

It's quite common for adult female bears to be pursued by male bears, and even female bears with cubs can attract the attention of male bears.

Every male bear eager to mate will try its best to show itself to the female bear it desires and pass her tests in order to win her heart.

When he and Slok were cubs, their mother was pursued by another male bear.

The memory of that time is still vivid; the male bear's murderous gaze is still clear in my mind.

The mother bear had no intention of mating again and conceiving a cub, but she still scrutinized the male bear with a critical eye, finally concluding:
“He is not as strong as the male bear who gave birth to you, I will not choose him.”

Why is it so memorable? Because the mother bear who gave birth to him and Slok was also unique. Compared to ordinary bear mothers, she seemed to be even more ruthless at first.

Slok had always clung to her since he was a child. He was cowardly and incompetent, so after he hadn't eaten for several days, she abandoned him on the rugged rocky cliffs by the sea and stood on the edge of the cliff looking down at him.

Slok was so hungry that he had no strength left. Countless times he looked up and cried out pitifully, begging her to soften her heart.

But she remained unmoved, simply watching indifferently.

Caesar stood at her feet, watching Slok, who had given up, huddled in a small ball on the steep cliff face. He hesitated, then looked up and called to her:

"Mother……"

However, Mom had no intention of changing her mind, and simply said coldly:

“If I had gone through all the trouble of raising him, only for him to die a tragic death because of his cowardice, I would have been better off just leaving him here from the beginning, so I wouldn’t have had to expend so much energy.”

Caesar clearly remembers the shock he felt at that moment. It was then that he realized that if he didn't become a brave cub, or a strong adult bear, even the mother bear who gave birth to him wouldn't accept him!

He had no doubt about the cruelty of the mother bear at that moment, because the steep cliffs by the sea were too dangerous. Whether Slok stayed where he was or took a wrong step and fell, he would surely die.

Fortunately, Slok eventually climbed up, but unlike Caesar, although he also felt resentful about being abandoned, he quickly sank back into his mother's warm embrace. In less than two hours, he was clinging tightly to his mother, eagerly absorbing her warmth.

In the end, Caesar didn't even know if Slok remembered that afternoon; it seemed that he was the only bear who remained in that afternoon.

So much so that even though his mother treated them better and better, Caesar still remembered that afternoon. Even though he wasn't the one who was left behind, he stopped and just quietly watched Slok and his mother being affectionate.

He didn't understand why the mother bear, who had been so cruel before, would eventually do everything in her power to nurture them. She had initially been so demanding of Slok to become independent and strong, yet in the end, when he was an adult and still refused to leave, she tolerated him and persisted in raising him. If it weren't for that accident, Slok would probably be the only adult bear cub in the Arctic who still relies on his mother.

Caesar once wanted to ask the mother bear why she abandoned Slok at that time, and since she chose cruelty, why she was so forgiving in the end.

But the question was never asked, and now it will never be answered.

Now he can only speculate that perhaps the mother bear wasn't born with affection for her cubs. To her, he and Slok were just two extra burdens that suddenly appeared on her body, so she didn't love them that much. She only raised them out of necessity because of blood ties.

All emotions originate from time, and perhaps it is time that bestows love upon us.

Slok chose to forget the unhappy things and continued to get close to her without reservation, while he was wary and always watched coldly from the sidelines.

So in the end, the mother could take whatever she wanted from Slok, but like all mother bears with their cubs, she would expel him without hesitation when the time came, without a trace of lingering affection.

As for the male bear who gave birth to them, well, according to Guo Mi's current explanation, he should be his and Slok's father.

Caesar had absolutely no recollection of it, and his mother had only mentioned it occasionally. When she talked about the bear, her expression was completely normal, as if she were talking about a stone at her feet.

That male bear was just like any other polar bear she had ever encountered, perhaps a bit stronger to win her favor, but in reality, there was no difference.

So even though they separated, Mom didn't feel any regret or reluctance.

...just like when we drove him away.

Caesar's eyes darkened. Apart from Slok, any bear would probably be no different in his mother's eyes.

This is why Caesar suddenly lost interest in mating after reaching adulthood; it wasn't out of aversion or avoidance, but rather a complete loss of interest.

He had no desire to continue his bloodline, nor did he want to needlessly add one or two burdens to a mother bear, and then be forced to love them over time.

What's so good about teddy bears?

So when Slok wanted to become a "bear dad," Caesar scoffed at him, not understanding why he would go looking for trouble.

But Guo Mi is different; she is unlike any other bear.

She wasn't related to the two little ones by blood; they just happened to meet in the snow, and she decided to be kind to them.

Despite her own bumpy life, she still did her best to protect those two little cubs she met by chance, just like a mother bear.

Caesar had already started looking at her without realizing it. Whether he could get close or stay far away, even if she was hidden in the shadows, he couldn't help but keep his eyes on her.

It started because of her strange appearance, but it eventually became a habit.

Now he wants to mate with her!

Guo Mi is so beautiful, has such a great personality, and is so smart, she should be very popular with male bears!

Like all courtship bears, Caesar was prepared to be tested and confident that he could break through the encirclement of other courtship bears and drive them all away!

But before he could even begin to face the troubles he had envisioned, the first obstacle he encountered was Guo Mi's timidity, panic, and resistance in the face of his pursuit!

The bear, who had died before achieving his goal, was in a state of distress. Caesar fell back into the snow with a "thud" and sighed heavily!