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

Chapter 67 Agreeing to the Exchange
Caesar wanted to exchange his prey for two days of solitude with Gomi.

When this condition was first stated, even Guo Mi was surprised by how simple it was.

She glanced at the prey Caesar had brought. Although she couldn't tell what it was yet, she and the bear cub sharing it would at least sustain them for at least ten days!

Unfortunately, this simple task was precisely what she couldn't agree to.

She couldn't be alone with Caesar; she also had two bear cubs with her.

After hearing Gomi's refusal, Caesar sat there with his head down. After a while, he suddenly said:
“I’ve asked Slok to come and watch over those two little pups.”

Guo Mi was somewhat taken aback. She didn't understand why Caesar insisted on spending two days with her, and why he even wanted to involve Slok.

After all, although Caesar had always taken care of Slok, he outwardly wished to sever ties with Slok and was very resistant to supporting each other.

Asking him to ask Slok for help would be going against his long-standing policy towards Slok!

Caesar stared intently at Guo Mi, silently telling her that he had to wait for an answer that night.

Guo Mi hesitated. First of all, she did allow Slok to get close to the bear, but that was only when she was right next to him.

Slok himself is a male bear, and he has no relation to the bear cub.

Secondly...

Guo Mi twitched her lips. Even if Slok wouldn't hurt the cub, she believed he wouldn't abandon them if they encountered other male bears while out with the cub. However, given his fighting prowess, Guo Mi had no doubt that the final outcome would be him being severely injured and the cub's fate unknown.

Caesar seemed to sense her doubt and immediately said:
“The little brat is in the cave. I told him to guard the entrance and not go anywhere else. We won’t go too far from here.”

Poor Slok had his itinerary arranged by Caesar for the next two days.

He had already said all that, so Guo Mi hesitated for a moment, then finally sighed:
"Wait for me a moment." Then he turned and went into the cave.

This wasn't the first time the two bear cubs had encountered Caesar. Although they hadn't seen him for a long time, they were no longer as frightened as they were when they were children.

The two little creatures sat obediently in the cave, looking up at Guo Mi. They had already heard her conversation with Caesar.

Guo Mi asked in a low voice:

"Would you be willing to leave me for a while and stay with Slok?"

The salmon looked hesitant, but the fishbone's eyes lit up when it heard the name Slok, but it quickly snuggled close to Guo Mi's feet again out of affection.

Guo Mi didn't rush them, patiently waiting for the two little ones to make a decision.

A moment later, the salmon raised its head and made a clear, crisp sound:

"Guo Mi, go do what you want to do. I can do it."

Fishbone was initially unwilling, but when he heard his sister say "do what you want to do," he suddenly realized that Guo Mi had unknowingly spent too much time and energy on them.

She had long since abandoned her initial intention of "adopting them to get their help," and instead truly raised them like a mother, teaching them how to survive.

But she didn't need to do these things. Without them, she could have lived perfectly well on her own and wouldn't have even argued with Caesar.

The fishbone slowly moved away from Guo Mi's body, finally walking over to the salmon and looking up at Guo Mi with her.

"Guo Mi, we can do it."

Two little fur balls, no, they should be considered big fur balls now.

It seems like just yesterday that the two little bears were so tiny. Guo Mi felt a sense of relief, realizing that she had really raised them to be so big now.

Perhaps this is a good opportunity for the little one to try independence?
Guo Mi hesitated for a long time, but finally stepped out of the cave amidst the repeated assurances of the two bear cubs that "we can do it," and said to Caesar, who had been waiting for a long time:

"Okay, I promise you."

Caesar's ears, which had been drooping beside his face, snapped straight up instantly, and his paws pawed up and down playfully, creating a small mound of dirt. But the bear's mood quickly returned to normal.

Because after stating his request, he had no hope that Guo Mi would agree.

It's hard to imagine that she would take such good care of those two cubs as to allow them to leave her side and be cared for separately by another male bear.

But Guo Mi agreed anyway.

This means that in her mind, Slok was much more trustworthy than him.

Caesar's moods were more unpredictable than the weather. Before Guo Mi could even ask a question, Caesar had already stood up.

"Then I'll come see you tomorrow."

Then he turned and hurried away.

Guo Mi watched him disappear in the blink of an eye, and couldn't help but mutter to herself:
"There wasn't even time to say goodbye."

Finally, glancing at the prey at her feet, the aroma of the meat almost in her mouth and the joy of filling her stomach dispelled the strange feeling in her heart. Guo Mi turned her head and called the two little bears out, and the three bears began their delicious meal.

Meanwhile, Slok burst into laughter for the first time that day when he learned that Caesar's apology and attempts to make peace had backfired and instead turned into a bargaining chip!
"Hahahaha, you're saying that because you couldn't bring yourself to apologize, you traded meat for two days of Guo Mi's time?"

Slok laughed so hard he rolled around on the ground:

"How come you don't even dare to apologize, but instead dare to make such an outrageous request? You want a mother bear to abandon her cubs and be alone with you?"

Caesar looked at him coldly, his voice icy:

"She has agreed."

"Hahahaha... uh?"

Slok's laughter caught in his throat, and after a moment of stunned silence, he scrambled over.

"You...you agree?"

"Correct."

Caesar forcefully slapped the small pebble on the left, sending it flying in a high arc before it landed in the water, splashing up a small spray.

Now it was Slok's turn to be shocked:

"How could she agree? Doesn't she have a teddy bear...?"

Caesar glanced at him coldly and issued the order without any emotion:
"So starting tomorrow, you will guard those two little cubs. Considering your timid and cowardly nature, the cubs will stay inside the cave, and you will stay at the cave entrance. You are not allowed to leave."

Slok paused, and after a long while, he asked timidly:
"So, am I also one of the conditions for the exchange?"

Caesar exhaled a breath of hot air from his nostrils, as if reluctant to answer the question, and after a long pause, he simply uttered a single word:

"Correct."

Slok instantly became excited:
"Great! I'll go find the little brats tomorrow. Don't worry, I'll make sure they're well protected!"

The fact that Caesar was willing to let him help meant that he had unconsciously become more accustomed to his approach, and nothing could make Slok happier than that!
Moreover, for Slok, whether it's a little river or two little bears, he's happy as long as there are bears to play with!
Caesar looked at the gleeful Slok with a puzzled expression, unable to understand why protecting two bear cubs that had nothing to do with him would make him so happy.

But I can't help thinking:

"Perhaps that's why Guo Mi felt comfortable letting him interact with the bear cub."

But his thoughts were quickly interrupted by Slok, who had come over again. The silly bear asked cheerfully:
What are you planning to do with Guo Mi tomorrow?

(End of this chapter)