I Became Famous After I Became a Parrot in the Movie Star's House - Chapter 44

Li Pu has no idea his vacation is over until his assistant calls to remind him.

Is it really over so soon…?

In the past, he feels that his break is long, no matter how short it actually is. Sometimes, he finds himself wanting to keep busy even before he can fully pull himself out of the last project. Yet, he refrains from doing so due to the encouragement of his agent and assistant.

But now…

Li Pu is acutely aware of the change in his mentality. The chaotic thoughts that once threatened to pull him into a vortex are gone, replaced by an unprecedented sense of ease.

This ease permeates him from the inside out.

He can’t recall when he stops struggling to break free from the shackles of an identity that is not his, like wandering through a maze. Insomnia, too, fades; his psychiatrist congratulates him on this successful escape from his predicament, which feels more complete than before—like sweeping away all the dust without leaving a trace.

And the only thing that brings about this transformation is…

Li Pu holds a cup filled with water and glances at the snow-white figure in the cage. Bai Gaoxing is eating.

To be precise, he is cursing and complaining about having so little food despite losing weight, angrily scratching the box with his claws.

With his mouth full of grains, he suddenly senses a gaze from outside. His instincts as a small animal kick in, and he quickly turns his head to identify the source of the scrutiny.

What’s up?!

Bai Gaoxing falls silent, his guilty conscience prompting him to spread his wings protectively over the food box, fearing that Li Pu might change his mind and take even this little food away from him.

Once he nearly finished eating, he slowly exited the cage and flies to Li Pu’s shoulder as usual.

They often bask in the sun after meals.

Li Pu’s house has excellent sunlight exposure, with rays streaming in through the floor-to-ceiling windows. It is incredibly comfortable to soak in the warmth for a while.

Unfortunately, summer is approaching, and it has been getting quite hot recently. Even the evenings carry a hint of heat.

Bai Gaoxing lies on Li Pu’s legs, enjoying the gentle strokes along his fur.

Just as he is about to doze off, Li Pu’s voice breaks the peaceful silence.

“When I’m not at home… you have to be good too.”

There is a hint of hesitation in his gentle tone, though Bai Gaoxing can’t quite discern what it is. He opens his eyes and tilts his head to look at him.

He has grown somewhat accustomed to Li Pu speaking to him, even if it is infrequent; it is certainly an improvement from their initial encounter when he initially resembles a breathing statue.

Bai Gaoxing lies on his back, grabs one of Li Pu’s fingers, and thinks to himself, Um, um, um, he would be—

Hmm? ? ?

It doesn’t sound right.

Subconsciously thinking that Li Pu will take him along, Bai Gaoxing suddenly turns over and stares at the man seriously. “Are you taking me with you?”

Li Pu replies, “You stay at home obediently.”

Bai Gaoxing is stunned.

He feels both excited and nervous when he hears that Li Pu is going to the crew. Excited because he thinks he might meet more people, and nervous because he isn’t sure if he can adapt to the crew.

Now it seems clear—Li Pu doesn’t want to take him at all…?

“Take me with you!” He lunges forward and bites Li Pu’s shirt button.

“Stay at home.” Li Pu saves the button from his mouth.

“Take me with you!” Bai Gaoxing tries to pinch Li Pu’s flesh.

“Be good.” Li Pu quickly holds him down.

“Ah—let’s go together!” Bai Gaoxing sings in a dramatic voice.

Li Pu frowns and frees a hand to rub his battered ears.

This is hopeless.

Bai Gaoxing struggles unsuccessfully and stares blankly at the ceiling. He doesn’t love me anymore.

Come to think of it, how can he bring a parrot to the crew? He’s not a dog—oh, and dogs aren’t allowed either; he’s not a specially invited animal actor.

Bai Gaoxing turns over and begins to sulk.

…

The next day, when Mei Youshu brings Lin Shi to the door, they are greeted by a parrot that seems to have lost its spirit.

The young man immediately notices Bai Gaoxing lying on top of the cage and is startled, thinking something has gone wrong. But he chooses to discuss business first.

“The crew has chosen Chunshi as the filming location, which will take about three months during the hottest time of the year. It’s another one of Director Sun’s projects. Brother Li, you’ve worked with him before, so there’s nothing to worry about.”

Mei Youshu closes the information he has prepared and glances at his side. “As for Xiao Lin, Sister Li wants her to follow me to learn. It doesn’t have to be for long; just enough for her to understand the process.”

Li Pu has no reason to disagree.

The next step is to determine the itinerary and prepare the luggage. This task is usually handled by an assistant and would be straightforward for Mei Youshu. However, this time is different. In addition to what Li Pu wants to bring, he also needs to help with the remaining issues.

“That is to say… I don’t know who will take care of Dabai…” Mei Youshu immediately considers this.

Meanwhile, Lin Shi, noticing that the parrot is not in good spirits, approaches the cage and can’t help but reach out to touch the tip of its snow-white tail feathers. He turns around and asks, “What’s wrong with Dabai?”

Li Pu replies lightly, “It wants to go with me.”

Lin Shi bursts out laughing and says, “It seems that Dabai is quite clingy.”

Mei Youshu glances at the white fluff on top of the cage and cautiously says, “Could it be that Bai Gaoxing isn’t feeling well?”

He remains calm and rational. “While some pets feel sad when they know their owners are leaving, Dabai doesn’t even have the strength to stand. It must be something else. Should we take him to the hospital?”

Li Pu glances at him.

Bai Gaoxing slowly turns over, shifting from lying down to standing lazily.

It is the first time Mei Youshu has seen a bird collapse into a puddle, leaving him shocked and speechless.

What happens next surprises him even more—Li Pu walks to the cage, reaches out, and gently touches the large parrot’s head, lowering his gaze. “No matter how much you sulk, I won’t take you with me.”

Li Pu has no problem with this.

The statement itself is also fine.

But the fact that Li Pu is the one saying this is quite a problem!

Mei Youshu’s eyes widen. He knows that Li Pu is someone who speaks very little in private, even reluctant to say a word more during interviews. He never thought that one day Li Pu would actually converse with a pet!

Is this reasonable??

Mei Youshu carefully observes Li Pu, confirming that he seems in good spirits. After calming down for a moment, he has to admit that Brother Li truly cares for Dabai.

“How about finding someone to foster him?” Mei Youshu suggests a more common option.

“Not reassuring,” Li Pu replies.

Yes, he has heard many foster care horror stories recently. It’s hard to trust someone you don’t know.

Mei Youshu thinks for a moment and comes up with another idea. “What if we keep him at the company? Dabai isn’t afraid of outsiders, so he could stay there while Sister Li takes care of him.” He adds, “Sister Li often works overtime and stays at the company, so you won’t have to worry about him at night.”

This plan sounds feasible.

Li Pu is about to nod when Lin Shi interjects, “Sister Li went to meet with the person in charge of ‘Cute Pet Diary’ and won’t be back until next Monday.”

That means Dabai will be left alone for five days.

Li Pu, who will join the crew tomorrow, frowns.

“How about…” Mei Youshu suggests while thinking, “We go to the filming crew first and let Bai Gaoxing stay home alone for a few days. After three or four days, when Xiao Lin is more familiar with the crew, I’ll come back and bring Bai Gaoxing to the company.”

This method seems acceptable.

There really aren’t any more reliable options at the moment; they can’t leave Bai Gaoxing’s safety in the hands of unknown people, so it’s better to leave him at the company with Lei Li.

As for the timing… Dabai has been fine at home alone for two days before. If he stays home for another day or two, it should be manageable.

With the plan confirmed, Mei Youshu takes Li Pu’s suitcase as an example and teaches Lin Shi what he needs to bring to the crew this season. He also shares his proud storage method—the space-saving technique that had once amazed a certain program crew, garnering attention online and trending. It involves using the smallest space to hold the most items, leaving no gaps.

After everything is organized, Mei Youshu and Li Pu set a time for the next day and then depart for the airport on schedule.

With the sound of the door closing, only one person and one bird remain at home.

Bai Gaoxing collapses again.

He hears the others discussing plans, but he has no intention of interrupting. He understands clearly: he is a parrot now, and he cannot change their decision no matter what.

For example, would a student bring his dog to school? The same principle applies to going out for work or school.

It seems he can only be a left-behind parrot. Bai Gaoxing shifts his position on the cage and sighs.

Noticing Bai Gaoxing’s depressed demeanor, Li Pu pauses and decides to cheer him up before leaving.

At lunchtime, when Bai Gaoxing sees the braised pork in front of him, he immediately forgives Li Pu.

It is fatty but not greasy, tender and chewy, and while the sauce is a bit on the lighter side, it is still satisfying.

After indulging, Bai Gaoxing watches as Li Pu prepares his meals for the next few days. Following an initial two-day business trip and the hassle of having his assistant come over to refill his food, Li Pu has bought two automatic feeders.

The kind typically used for cats.

Though they are large, they are quite suitable for him.

He observes as Li Pu adds grain and nourishing pills to the machine, mixing them by hand before setting it to dispense every six hours.

So simple? Bai Gaoxing leans over, feeling a surge of pride—he can easily adjust it to once an hour in just a few minutes.

But he decides against it.

First, his appetite has returned to normal, and second… he doesn’t want to starve himself.

Bai Gaoxing pretends to eat a little to reassure the man.

By evening, Li Pu is still leaning against the headboard, reviewing the script.

This behavior gives off a vibe of cramming before an exam, but having witnessed firsthand how hard Li Pu studies, he figures it shouldn’t be a problem.

Bai Gaoxing suddenly remembers that Li Pu is also known as a film emperor.

Given that, there’s even less reason to worry.

Now, there’s just one last question…

While reading, Li Pu suddenly feels something moving under the covers. A warm presence brushes against his legs, startling him.

Realizing what it might be, he quickly lifts the quilt. Sure enough, there is a white fluffy ball lying on its back in the middle of the bed. Upon noticing he has found it, the parrot exclaims, “Hello!”

“Dabai,” Li Pu sighs, rubbing his temples. He doesn’t understand why this parrot always wants to get on the bed. “Go down.”

“No!” Bai Gaoxing crawls forward, sliding along the sheets to the edge of the pillow. He flips over and grabs a corner of Li Pu’s pajamas with his claws, pretending it is a small quilt, and closes his eyes. “Good night~”

This bratty behavior really makes you wonder who he learned it from.

Li Pu stares at the parrot for a moment before finally making a decision that is out of character for him.

“Good night.”

He turns off the light and covers Bai Gaoxing with a small sheet, tucking him in with an extra pillowcase.

…

The next day arrives.

Before Bai Gaoxing fully wakes from his dreams, he hears voices and footsteps, followed by the sound of suitcase wheels rolling.

Then he feels a familiar, warm hand and slowly opens his eyes. Li Pu, dressed and ready, looks down at him.

“I’m leaving. Be good and stay at home.”

Li Pu scratches the feathers on his head.

With a soft “bang,” the front door closes, and the footsteps gradually fade away.

A few moments later, Bai Gaoxing’s eyes shoot open.

He quickly flies to the door and presses the video doorbell. The person is already gone; all he can see is a slight shadow swaying on the wall. He turns and flies to the balcony, finally catching sight of three figures a minute later.

“Goodbye—goodbye—”

Bai Gaoxing opens his beak to shout to Li Pu, but his voice comes out weak and hoarse.

The weather isn’t great today, or maybe it is just too early; the morning fog blankets the street, obscuring the end from view.

His eyes follow Li Pu’s retreating figure until, just as he is about to call out again, Li Pu disappears around the corner.

He doesn’t even look back… Bai Gaoxing pouts, swallowing the words “Come back soon.”

Leaping lightly down from the flower stand, Bai Gaoxing turns and stands there in a daze.

Huh.

Looking at it this way…

The house feels so empty.