Chapter 367: Chapter 221: Daily Life of Survival on the Icefield

It excitedly burrowed through the snow, using all four paws to frantically shovel backward, scattering snowflakes everywhere, some even splashing onto Lin Yu’an’s face.

Every now and then, it would bury its entire head in the snow, leaving only its round little bottom wriggling outside, like an ostrich searching for shells in the sand.

Occasionally, it would find a small tree, support itself upon it, and stand up fiercely, poking its head out, its black nose and mouth framed with a circle of white "frosting."

But its two obsidian-like eyes appeared especially bright against the white snow.

Watching it frolic gleefully in the snow, Lin Yu’an felt a warm feeling fill his heart.

Lin Yu’an knew, this was how it was meant to be. No matter how warm the shelter was, it was just a temporary refuge; this icy land was its true home.

After playing for a while, Lin Yu’an took out that bright red rubber ball from his pocket.

"Hey, December, look here!"

He called out, shaking the ball in front of December, the little one rolling in the snow, its ears twitched keenly, and it immediately emerged from the snow.

It shook the snow off its head, its attention instantly seized by the familiar bright red toy.

Lin Yu’an didn’t give it immediately. He took a few steps back, then mimicked a baseball throw, hurling the rubber ball forcefully across the ice.

The red ball drew a bright line across the pristine snow, encountering little resistance, bouncing away into the distance.

It finally stopped dozens of meters away, standing out deliberately in the vast white world like an enticing little berry.

December paused for a moment, its eyes tightly tracking the rolling red dot, lowering its body into a perfect hunting pose.

Soon, those bright black eyes locked onto the red target, instinct for the hunt thoroughly awakened!

It propelled itself with powerful limbs like a small white cannonball, sprinting earnestly across the solid snow surface.

Its body was not yet entirely coordinated, rendering its run somewhat comical—a swinging bottom resembling a rolling yarn ball, leaving an adorable trail of uneven footprints in the snow.

It quickly reached the ball, yet didn’t pick it up right away. First, it circled around the ball twice, tentatively extending its front paw to smack the ball.

The ball rolled away with a slap, and it immediately chased after it, smacking it again, delighting in the game as if toying with prey like a kitten.

After ensuring this red "prey" had no power to resist, it contentedly opened its mouth and clumsily grasped the oversized ball that dwarfed its head.

It turned its head, gazing proudly at Lin Yu’an in the distance, a muffled "wooooo" of boasting emanating from its throat, as if saying, "Look, I caught the prey! Impressive, right?"

"Well done, December! Bring it back!" Lin Yu’an clapped his hands with a smile, issuing the command.

December carried the gigantic ball, its view obstructed, huffing as it ran back.

It didn’t drop the ball immediately. Instead, it circled around Lin Yu’an like parading its victory before finally laying the ball at his feet.

Then it raised its head, panting with a long pink tongue like a puppy waiting for praise from its owner.

"Wonderful! You are the best hunter I’ve ever seen!" Lin Yu’an generously bestowed praise, leaning down to vigorously rub December’s snow-covered head.

Thus, on this serene, sunlit ice lake, one person and one bear began the most simple yet joyful game of "fetch."

The red ball flew off into the distance again and again, the white figure tirelessly chasing it down.

December’s laughter intertwined with Lin Yu’an’s, breaking the ultimate silence of the land and breathing life into the cruel expanse of ice.

This was more than mere play; through the game, it was honing December’s stamina, speed, and reflex abilities, nurturing its tracking instinct.

And all of it was beautifully captured by the small GoPro camera on his chest.

After playing for over an hour, December’s stamina was visibly depleted.

No longer relentlessly chasing the ball, it instead carried it to Lin Yu’an’s feet before flopping down onto the ice with a "thud."

Its long pink tongue extended, panting heavily, its small chest heaving like a bellows in furious action.

Lin Yu’an knew the exercise had reached its limit for a cub of this age.

Smiling, he walked over, took the saliva-coated rubber ball from December’s mouth, and tucked it back into his pocket. 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

"Alright, let’s call it a day." He bent down, gently stroking December’s back, still warm from exertion.

"You did great! Now, we need to replenish our energy and have a good rest."

He didn’t let December walk back. Seeing it utterly exhausted, like a floppy puddle, Lin Yu’an extended both arms and lifted it, holding it firmly in his embrace.

December immediately emitted a contented hum, nuzzling its heavy little head into Lin Yu’an’s warm chest, adjusting to find the most comfortable position.