I Became Famous After I Became a Parrot in the Movie Star's House - Chapter 111

Las Vegas is a gambling city.

Famous for its gambling industry, it is known as the “Entertainment Capital of the World.”

Casinos are everywhere here, and even airports and hotels are filled with gambling machines.

Bai Gaoxing stands at the door of the casino, looking at the familiar machines, brightly lit and covered in colorful lights. He remembers seeing them at the airport and on his way to the hotel.

“It’s so exciting~” Darren whistles as he walks in first, then turns around, gesturing, “Come on!”

“My god… How many times are you going to do this?” The freckled girl with red hair and blue eyes looks up at the sky in exasperation before turning to Bai Gaoxing. “There are still minors here!”

Bai Gaoxing pauses for a moment and explains, “I’m already an adult.”

The red-haired girl, Nitia, has also been at the audition. She is the female lead of the movie and, like Darren, is from F country. But unlike Darren, she is fluent in English and quicker to socialize.

Nitia’s expression is even more deadpan than Bai Gaoxing’s. “…Wow, you don’t look it.”

Darren doesn’t hear their conversation and retorts to Nitia, “So what? At least we’re here to accompany you anyway.”

The other actors laugh and chat among themselves. Amidst the noise, Bai Gaoxing overhears some of them mentioning that they arrived the day before and were then taken to the casino by Darren, who arrived earlier. Some others arrived this morning, and Darren took them around again… In short, every time a new person arrives, he takes them on a tour.

Doesn’t he get tired of this? Bai Gaoxing thinks suspiciously, looking at him.

“Alright, I know you’re nervous, but do you really need to keep coming to the casino?” Nitia says, “I remember you’ve already learned all the techniques. You even remember the rules.”

“Well, we can’t gamble, but we can look around. Besides, I’ve already talked to Frank about it,” Darren shrugs.

He mischievously pats Li Pu’s shoulder, his tone intentionally teasing, “Adonis, you need to be better than me~”

Bai Gaoxing understands that he is referring to their roles in the movie.

He translates the sentence truthfully for Li Pu.

Li Pu raises an eyebrow, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.

The others are persuaded by Darren and one by one enter the casino. Li Pu lowers his head slightly and asks, “Are they planning to gamble?”

Director Frank has sent everyone an email emphasizing that no one in the crew is allowed to gamble during the shoot.

Yes, although gambling is legal here, the director is concerned that some actors might lack self-control and become addicted, which could interfere with the movie’s production.

“No,” Bai Gaoxing blinks, realizing he forgot to mention Darren’s previous comment, “They said they just want to take a look.”

That makes sense and is necessary. After all, the theme of the movie is gambling, and without experiencing it firsthand, they probably wouldn’t be able to capture the essence of it.

Bai Gaoxing looks at the group that has already gone some distance into the casino and tugs on Li Pu’s sleeve, “Shall we go?”

Li Pu thinks for a moment. “Stay close to me,” he says, then grabs Bai Gaoxing’s wrist.

Bai Gaoxing, still a bit stunned, follows him inside.

It turns out that Li Pu has made the right decision. Though the casino is spacious, the entrance is crowded, and in no time, the group disperses.

“Hey! This way!” A pair of hands wave above the towering heads in the distance.

Darren squints, peering through the gaps in the crowd, watching the figures approaching hand in hand.

Even in a place designed to confuse the eye, these two stand out remarkably.

“What are you looking at?” Nitia nudges him, standing on tiptoe, trying to spot them.

“Looking at Adonis,” Darren replies.

“Can’t you just call someone by their real name?” Nitia rolls her eyes. “I remember it’s… Li Pu, right? Li and Bai, the two of them.”

“Calling them by their character names feels more fitting,” Darren replies, then sighs, “He really fits this role.”

“Yes… he’s so handsome.” Nitia is already starting to swoon. “And he has that elegant charm of Eastern people. Frank really knows how to pick them.”

When she sees the man for the first time, she is completely stunned by his appearance.

Darren, familiar with Nitia, recognizes the dreamy look in her eyes. He chuckles, “But don’t you think the translator he brought would be better suited for a role?”

“Who?” Nitia asks, startled.

“Noah.”

Nitia blinks, then suddenly understands. “Oh! Now that you mention it, you’re right!”

She looks at the young man with a sense of wonder, “Noah’s role is so small, it’s impressive that you still remember him.”

“After all, Adonis is my important partner,” Darren chuckles lightly.

He is also quite curious about the stark contrast in the emotional arcs between the second male lead and himself.

But… at this moment, Bai Gaoxing and Li Pu catch up, and upon seeing the two leads, they greet each other with a nod.

Darren looks at Bai Gaoxing and says, “It’s very easy to get separated here.”

His gaze falls on the wrist Li Pu is holding, and he raises an eyebrow in amusement.

Bai Gaoxing looks down at his hand, realizing it is being held.

Bai Gaoxing pauses for a moment, trying to pull his arm away, but it is gripped more tightly.

“There are too many people.” Li Pu says succinctly.

I know there are too many people! But… Bai Gaoxing slightly twists his arm, feeling warmth where his palm meets Li Pu’s.

Darren says, “Anyway, let’s just wander around. I’ll remind you though, if you wander too far, you’ll definitely get lost.”

Bai Gaoxing freezes, “Huh?”

He glances at the maze of paths extending from the space and quickly composes himself. “Got it.”

In the end, it is Darren and Nitia who guide them.

“Aren’t you going to follow them?” Bai Gaoxing asks. By the time they are having this conversation, the others are already out of sight.

“It’s fine, they’ve already been here,” Darren smiles at him, “As long as we don’t wander too much, we should be able to find our way out.”

“Oh~”

They arrive at the largest casino in the area.

Though Darren says he is just showing them around, he and Li Pu walk ahead, while Darren and Nitia trail behind, subtly guiding their direction.

Bai Gaoxing has now completely ignored the hand gripping his wrist, his eyes full of wonder as he looks around the inside of the casino.

The distance from the door to the interior is only a few dozen meters, but it already feels completely different.

There are no clocks or windows, designed to make people lose track of time and indulge in gambling. The extravagant carpet and blinding lights create an immersive and disorienting experience.

The layout of the casino is equally confusing. The winding paths are designed to confuse, Darren explains. The numerous gambling machines scattered around create the illusion of just passing time with a harmless game, luring people into emptying their pockets.

No wonder Darren specifically reminded everyone to leave their cards behind before stepping out.

When they reach the big roulette area, Bai Gaoxing silently stares at the ATM machine nearby.

“Any card works, just to make it convenient for you to withdraw money,” Darren walks over and says.

Bai Gaoxing silently covers the spot where his wallet is.

The little bit of extra money he makes probably wouldn’t even be enough to play here for a few minutes.

The casino is full of flashy machines, and as Bai Gaoxing wanders around with Li Pu, Darren and Nitia resume their previous conversation from behind.

“To be honest, at first I thought I found Noah.”

Darren’s eyes follow the slender, upright figure in the distance, watching the white figure move.

Nitia suddenly has an idea, “Yeah, we could recommend Bai to Frank! Let him see if he’s suitable.”

“It’s a shame it’s too late,” Darren replies, pulling out his phone. “I just received a message from Frank. The script’s been changed. He cut the scenes of Adonis’s lover, Noah.”

…

“Frank!”

In a makeshift room, the screenwriter is yelling at the director.

Anyone who sees them would be shocked—both of these usually easygoing people are now bickering like elementary school kids.

“How could you cut Noah’s scenes? We’ve already cast the actor!”

“I thought about it, but I still don’t think they’re right for the role,” Frank says, gesturing to the two scripts in front of him. “So I decide to cut them.”

He smiles, though it’s more of a sneer. “Let Noah live on in memory. We can use flashbacks.”

“Is this why you’ve been holed up in your room the past few days, not even meeting with the actors?” the screenwriter asks, incredulous.

“Oh… it’s fine. I already had Darren take care of them,” Frank says slowly.

The screenwriter laughs in frustration, “But Darren is still just a kid.” He is referring to Darren’s recent exposure to gambling, despite being 21 years old.

Frank shifts the topic, “Anyway, I’ve already cut it.”

In this movie, Noah is portrayed as a very beautiful character. Fragile, tough, and carrying Adonis’s hopes. It can be said that Noah is the reason Adonis doesn’t give up on himself, ultimately transforming into someone who is feared and respected in the casino. Noah has helped shape Adonis, becoming a part of him. So when Noah is removed, it means that Adonis’s heart is left empty, the hope he once carried utterly gone.

“If you cut Noah, what will Adonis’s character be like in the movie?” the screenwriter presses.

Originally, the movie was supposed to feature scenes of Adonis and Noah together. With Noah gone, it can only be seen as Noah’s scenes being “completed,” which would definitely impact the portrayal of Adonis.

Frank pauses to think. “Maybe… a cold, heartless dealer?”

The screenwriter is speechless. “…”

The screenwriter is about to lose it, “I think you’re seriously ill!”

Frank: “I’m not!”

The screenwriter sighs in exasperation. “Kevin, Herbert, Jon — their images would be much more fitting—they’re not suitable?”

Frank falls into thought, his brows slowly knitting, “I admit they look young, but they don’t have the vibe I want.”

Those young men only have big sparkling eyes, but their aura is very mature. Some even have frown lines. He doesn’t want Noah to appear like a silly little monkey in the audience’s eyes.

“…Fine, fine.” After a long silence, the screenwriter decides to give up, “I thought you’d finally found the right actor for Noah in the last few days, and was planning to pop open champagne to celebrate.”

Frank purses his lips. “There must be some regrets in it.”

Meanwhile, Bai Gaoxing and Li Pu pass through what he would consider a true casino.

Poker rooms, chips, and pole dancers.

The dealers in vests and leather shoes are handing out cards, while waiters with free drinks are weaving between the round tables. Despite the deliberately created relaxed atmosphere, you can still sense the tension in the air.

“This should be pretty close to the set we used for filming,” Darren’s voice sounds near Bai Gaoxing’s ear, and he feels a hand rest on his shoulder. Bai Gaoxing turns around to see the young man smiling at him. “Exciting, isn’t it?”

Li Pu gently pulls the boy toward him, casually brushing Darren’s hand away, “Quite the nice view.” He is speaking French.

As soon as the words leave his mouth, a loud, despairing scream rings out, and security rushes over to subdue the excited gambler.

“Let’s go, it’s getting chaotic here,” Darren glances at his hand, suddenly chuckling, then turns to lead the two away.

By the time they return to the hotel, it’s nearly midnight.

After taking a shower, Bai Gaoxing flops around on the soft bed for a while, rolling the sheets into disarray, before sitting up and coughing twice.

It is too exciting.

The visual and auditory stimulation from the casino lingers, and his earlier drowsiness has completely vanished.

He is already looking forward to the official filming.

Not only is he excited to see how the crew will recreate the casino, but also… seeing Li Pu in a dealer’s uniform.

Mainly because the casino dealers are all handsome, tall young men, which makes him imagine Li Pu in their place—after all, he is just the right type for this role, and… he probably looks even better in the uniform than those guys.

Bai Gaoxing curls up in the quilt, trying to calm his overly excited nerves. It doesn’t take long before he feels sleepy and closes his eyes, drifting off into a light doze.

But sometime later, he suddenly wakes up again.

Next to him, Li Pu is wiping his hair, looking down at his phone.

His expression is slightly tense, as though something has caught his attention.

Bai Gaoxing yawns, sitting up. “What are you reading?”

“… A new script.”

Author’s note:

It is said that in a real Las Vegas casino, players must be 21 or older to gamble, but this is a fictional version of Las Vegas.