Then it stretched its neck and let out an anxious and loud "owooo—owooo—" sound towards Lin Yu’an, who was sitting by the fireplace, carving a wooden bowl.

"Alright, alright, I heard you, little gluttonous bear." Lin Yu’an was amused by its look of being awakened by the aroma. He put down his work and got up to walk towards the supply box.

"Your little nose is really sharp, but that pot of soup is my lunch. Your deluxe meal will be ready soon, and we’ll have our meal together today."

He skillfully began the process of preparing milk. This time, he did not provide a detailed explanation, but quietly and attentively completed each step.

Soon, a bottle of warm and generously-portioned deluxe bear meal was ready.

December couldn’t wait any longer, anxiously circling around his feet.

Seeing the bottle ready, it immediately stood on its hind legs, its front paws on Lin Yu’an’s leg, looking up and making urging whimpers.

"Here it is, don’t rush." Lin Yu’an smiled, not sitting down as usual to hold and feed it.

He first dragged the soft and thick wolfskin bed closer to the fireplace and guided December to this exclusive dining spot, letting it form into a comfortable half-lying position.

Then he handed over the huge bottle.

December excitedly stretched out its furry front paws and tightly hugged the bottle, the movement so practiced as if it had rehearsed countless times.

It couldn’t wait for Lin Yu’an to help and adjusted the angle itself, stretching out its neck and deftly fitting the blunt, round silicone nipple into its mouth.

"Gulp, gulp..." The satisfied sound of gulping immediately resounded.

It lay there on its back, belly up, holding the big bottle firmly with its front paws, its hind legs stretched comfortably, revealing its pink paw pads.

The relaxed look was very much like a small child lying on the sofa, drinking a beverage while watching TV.

Seeing that December could "handle" lunch on its own, Lin Yu’an let out a sigh of relief, smiling and shaking his head as he began to prepare his own lunch.

He carefully removed the boiling iron pot that had been simmering for several hours from the fireplace and placed it on the stone slab nearby.

Lifting the lid, a richer and more fragrant aroma, mingled with billowing white steam, surged upwards abruptly.

The soup in the pot had turned into an inviting milky white, the large chunks of rabbit meat were stewed to the point of falling off the bone, disintegrating with a gentle touch of the wooden spoon.

Lin Yu’an filled a large bowl made of birch bark with the rabbit meat soup. He blew on it and then contentedly took a big sip.

The taste was far from "delicate," even carrying a faint hint of complex off-flavor.

But in the absence of spices and enough seasoning, Lin Yu’an had already minimized this off-flavor through blanching and sautéing.

The result, though not perfect, was surely filled with strength, each mouthful of the hot broth slipping into his stomach felt like injecting the most direct energy into his fat- and protein-craving body.

He looked up at his meal companion. December was still in that comical posture, clutching the bottle and drinking blissfully, eyes narrowed into slits, seemingly completely lost in its own culinary world.

Inside the shelter, a wondrous yet exceptionally harmonious scene was formed.

Bathed in the flickering orange firelight, a tall man was gulping down the steaming meat soup, his face full of contentment after hard work.

And not far from his feet, a white polar bear cub was lying on its back, hugging a huge bottle, drinking scientifically formulated delicious milk.

One person, one bear, one drinking soup, the other drinking milk, not disturbing each other, yet within the same warm space, they constituted a family-like warmth.

Lin Yu’an continued eating the tender, fall-off-the-bone rabbit meat, occasionally glancing at December to ensure its bottle hadn’t tilted.

There was always a soft smile on his lips, one that even he hadn’t noticed.

————

(December: "Owooo—Owooo—monthly ticket—mmhmm!")