At six o'clock in the morning, as dawn broke, Big White awoke on Gwen's living room sofa, driven by an overwhelming hunger.
Rousing from his sleep, he dragged his round body off the sofa and headed straight for the refrigerator.
The refrigerator, standing at about 180 cm tall and painted in a milky white hue, was adorned with a landscape oil painting on top.
Realizing he wasn't tall enough, Big White fetched a stool from the living room, climbed it, and finally reached the refrigerator's fresh-keeping layer.
Pushing the door open, a rush of cold air greeted him, and the sight of piled-up food reflected in his round, dark eyes.
Milk, ham slices, steak, tomatoes, cheese slices, pizza, orange juice...
His eyes lit up at the sight of such a feast. With his broad bear claws, he devoured a piece of ham, followed quickly by steak, milk, and everything else in the refrigerator's cooler, except the tomatoes.
Yet, he still felt a pang of hunger.
Closing the refrigerator door, Big White hopped off the stool and wandered around, exploring his new surroundings.
---
Around seven o'clock, George woke up, glanced at his still-sleeping wife and son, smiled gently, then slipped out of bed, donning his pajamas.
Due to his police work, George had a habit of rising early.
His first stop wasn't the bathroom but the kitchen, where he sought his wine stash.
Opening the top cabinet, he reached for a bottle but found nothing.
"Huh?" he muttered, puzzled, sure he had another bottle left.
Scratching his head, he wondered if he'd remembered wrong. Just as he was about to search another cabinet, a bear paw emerged from the upper cabinet, holding a wine bottle.
"Oh, thank you!" George said reflexively, taking the bottle, not realizing what had just happened.
As he poured a glass, he paused, something felt off.
Turning his head, he saw a panda in the cabinet, biscuit crumbs around its mouth, watching him curiously.
"Oh shit!" he exclaimed, spilling a bit of wine.
But shock quickly gave way to curiosity. He put down the bottle and glass, staring at the panda perched in the cabinet.
"How did you get up there?!"
Seeing the biscuit remnants, George opened another cupboard.
"Oh no, you ate all my son's cookies!" he lamented, finding only an empty cookie bag.
Big White, observing the human's distressed expression, tossed the last cookie into his mouth and chewed contently.
Crunch, crunch...
George listened to the crunching sound, feeling his patience tested. Taking a deep breath, he reminded himself, "Don't be impulsive! It's a panda!"
Despite its cute demeanor, fear lingered.
Big White, finishing the cookies, clumsily climbed down from the cabinet, landing with a soft thud on the kitchen counter.
George then recalled their original placement of the panda in the living room and the proximity of the refrigerator.
"No, no, no, I hope I'm wrong!" He hurried from the kitchen to the living room.
Seeing the stool by the refrigerator, he dreaded what he'd find inside.
Sure enough, upon opening it with trembling hands, chaos greeted him. Only a row of bright red tomatoes remained untouched.
At that moment, Gwen entered the living room in her pajamas, eyes filled with anticipation. But before spotting the panda, she noticed her father at the refrigerator, looking vexed.
"Dad, what's wrong?" she asked, stepping closer and gasping at the fridge's state.
"Oh my god, who did this?"
"That did!" George pointed at Big White, emerging from the kitchen, looking a bit sluggish. The morning's excitement left George feeling as if he were in a dream.
"Oh, great, you're awake," Gwen brightened, ignoring the fridge, and hurried to Big White.
"Hey, Gwen, be careful, it might be dangerous," George warned.
But before he could finish, Gwen had reached Big White, crouching and gently extending her hand.
Big White, feeling satiated, lay lazily on the living room floor.
Seeing no threat in its demeanor, Gwen boldly patted Big White's head, stroking it.
"It's okay, Dad, he won't hurt anyone."
George approached, observing the panda's relaxed state, and mused, "Maybe it's just because it's full. Animals don't attack when they're full."
"Don't you want to touch it? It's really well-behaved," Gwen encouraged, hugging Big White.
"No, I don't want to," George replied, yet the panda's cuteness drew him closer, tempting him to touch it.
Big White, enjoying Gwen's gentle touch, shot George a disdainful look as if to say, "The young lady can touch me, but not you."
"What? Gwen, did you see that? This panda seems to be mocking me," George said, halting in his tracks, surprised by Big White's gaze.
Gwen chuckled, recalling something.
"By the way, Dad, this panda is different from others. Did you see the video on Twitter?"
"No, not yet. I've been in a state of shock since waking up," George admitted, rolling his eyes.
Her words reminded him of Big White's unique traits. This panda ate more than just bamboo, challenging the stereotype.
Curious, George retrieved his phone from the bedroom to search for the Smithsonian Zoo online, eager to learn more about their unexpected guest.