I Became Famous After I Became a Parrot in the Movie Star's House - Chapter 55

“What do you say!?”

Hearing this, Director Sun suddenly stands up, knocking over his chair in the process.

The trainer, Xiao Yi, is startled by the extreme reaction. When he looks up, he meets Director Sun’s sharp gaze. Reluctantly, he confirms again, “Well, Dabai has memorized all the lines.”

“Just one afternoon?”

“To be precise… less than three hours.”

“…”

“…”

Silence falls between them.

“Then what are you waiting for?!” Director Sun exclaims suddenly, throwing off his vest from the back of the chair. His hurried steps seem to stir up a gust of wind. When Xiao Yi looks up again, all he can see is his distant back.

At this moment, in the bird room.

Having just finished teaching the lines, Li Pu is very satisfied with the progress of his parrot—or rather, it’s far beyond his expectations.

The method taught by the trainer works well. After feeling the vibrations of his vocal cords, Dabai starts making sounds with him. Though it’s vague at first, it gradually becomes clearer, just as expected.

The only difference is that it’s not as energetic as usual.

Li Pu supports the parrot lying in his arms, feeling its soft, furry body. He doesn’t quite understand why learning the lines would have this effect.

… Could it be from the brain power consumption?

On his shoulder, the snow-white, slightly gray-feathered head finally moves.

After feeling dizzy for a while, Bai Gaoxing lifts his head from Li Pu’s chest. His eyes are unfocused, his mind clouded.

But soon, he recalls what just happened.

Bai Gaoxing feels like he’s about to become a black phoenix.

Li Pu’s mouth… his mouth! Right on his face!

Bai Gaoxing turns his head and stares directly at the man’s lips, unable to stop himself from noticing the bridge of his nose and eyebrows.

Well… they look nice. Bai Gaoxing sighs, resigning himself: This is all for the sake of art.

When he thinks of art, he thinks of the lines. And when he thinks of the lines, he suddenly remembers how he couldn’t hold it all in and blurted them out.

It’s ruined!

The original plan to learn in three days has been shortened to one day… no, half a day? What will others think if they find out?

Li Pu, feeling the struggle in his arms, raises his other hand to cooperate and holds the parrot in front of him. “What’s wrong?”

Bai Gaoxing: “…”

I don’t want to see you right now.

His heart is still pounding with nervousness, and as soon as he sees Li Pu’s face, he recalls how he had been so mesmerized.

So, he doesn’t say anything, but he remains stiff, looking up at the sky and the ground, avoiding looking at the man in front of him.

Just as the man and the bird are at a standstill, the door of the bird room opens from the outside. In walks the panting middle-aged director, followed by the trainer behind him.

“Where’s Dabai?”

What should have been the end of the workday turns into an impromptu inspection.

If he were to work, he’d definitely hate overtime.

Bai Gaoxing nestles on Li Pu’s shoulder, silently watching the director, who seems to have not yet organized his words.

After a moment, he finally starts the conversation.

“…I hear that Dabai has memorized all the lines?” As if worried he might be dreaming, Director Sun asks again, “Really?”

“Yes,” Li Pu nods.

“Then—” Director Sun rubs his hands together. “Can it say it again?”

Li Pu raises his hand to gently lift the parrot off his shoulder and places it in front of them.

“Absolutely no problem.” Xiao Yi, who has recovered from his shock, says confidently, “I was listening to Brother Li’s teaching, and Dabai repeated it several times. There’s absolutely no problem.” He even pulls out his phone. “I also recorded it!”

Bai Gaoxing’s clear voice comes from the phone: “The empress said, tonight at midnight…”

Ah, there’s no way to fool them.

Until a warm finger rubs his cheek. “Dabai, say it again.”

Eh—! Bai Gaoxing is startled and opens his mouth: “The empress said that if there is no one in the lotus pond at midnight tonight, he will be in trouble!”

The delivery is full of emotion, his enunciation clear, with proper intonation!

After all, he consciously imitates the tone of the empress actor, so it should be impossible to find any mistakes.

Over the next few moments, Bai Gaoxing easily recites a few more lines, watching as the director’s eyes grow brighter, almost glowing.

The silence stretches for a few seconds before a “Great!” bursts out. Director Sun slaps the trainer’s shoulder fiercely, causing the thin young man to stumble. He turns to Li Pu, excitement in his voice: “Let’s do a test shoot tomorrow. If Dabai can maintain this level in front of the camera, we’ll start the official shooting!” He murmurs in distress, “Why is there no night scene for the parrot in the script… If there were, we’d shoot it overnight tonight…”

The staff will beat you if you do that!

Bai Gaoxing, afraid he might actually have to shoot until the second half of the night, looks up at Li Pu for reassurance.

“Tomorrow! Remember to do it early tomorrow morning!” Before leaving, Director Sun repeatedly reminds him, his eyes fixed on Bai Gaoxing as if he’s discovered a treasure. The trainer also chimes in: “Try to keep Dabai in this state, and don’t change the environment casually.”

Soon, he and Li Pu are the only ones left in the huge room.

Finally free, Bai Gaoxing happily flies to the sofa, pulls the remote control from the crack between the cushions, and before turning it on, he signals the man with his eyes: Why don’t you leave?

He remembers that Li Pu lives in a hotel some distance away from the crew. As long as the other man leaves, Bai Gaoxing will be completely free tonight!

Unexpectedly, Li Pu walks straight toward him and takes the remote control from his claws.

Then, he lifts the sofa cushion and turns it over, transforming the long sofa into a simple sofa bed.

“I’ll stay here with you tonight.” Seeing his parrot tilt its head with a puzzled expression, Li Pu smiles with his eyes. For various reasons, he decides not to take Dabai to the hotel tonight but to stay here instead.

Sitting on the sofa, Li Pu extends his hand to his parrot. “Dabai, come here.”

Bai Gaoxing walks over slowly and stands on his hand.

The man stands up and places him on the shelf. “You have to get up early tomorrow, so go to bed early.” After saying this, he draws the bed curtain and leans back on the sofa with the script.

What a familiar scene… Bai Gaoxing feels like he’s back home.

His TV—! No more elementary school sleep schedules!

Midnight.

Looking at the bright moonlight outside the window, Bai Gaoxing, who is finally sleepy, stands on the back of the sofa. He looks down at the sleeping man and tiptoes into the gap between the quilt and the man’s body.

Warm~

He comfortably crawls in and closes his eyes.

The next day arrives in the blink of an eye.

“What…?” Huang Shaqing is so surprised she even speaks in her hometown accent. “Did Dabai memorize the lines?”

Early on, Xiao Lu, the trainer in charge of Big Head, tells the actress who plays the empress the news.

“How is that possible?” Huang Shaqing smiles and waves her hands. “Are you and Xiao Yi under too much pressure and confusing dreams with reality? I need to talk to Director Sun and ask him not to put so much pressure on you.”

“No, sister, it’s true!” Seeing that no one believes her, Xiao Lu becomes a little anxious. Just as she’s about to provide more details, she spots a familiar figure: “They’re coming!”

Not far away, the director leads Li Pu and his group toward them. The most eye-catching sight is the golden bird stand in Li Pu’s hand and the snow-white bird standing on it.

“Director Sun.” As they approach, Huang Shaqing walks forward with a smile. “Xiao Lu actually said Dabai has memorized all the lines. Really, everyone is too tired recently. How can this be true?”

Huang Shaqing expects Director Sun to sigh and force a smile like before, but this time he calmly instructs the photographer to set up the shot. He then turns around and replies, “It’s true. Let’s take a shot, and if there’s no problem, we’ll start working directly.”

Huang Shaqing: “Huh?”

Director Sun walks over to Li Pu’s side and glances at the parrot in the cage. “Don’t worry, let Dabai find his state first and get familiar with it.”

Although his words are calm, his voice trembles slightly.

Li Pu looks down and sees the big white parrot sleeping soundly, its eyes closed, its head resting against the cage, and its chest rising and falling. If it weren’t for its gray claws firmly gripping the pole, it would be hard to imagine how it could stay upright.

What had it been doing secretly during the night?

Li Pu recalls the feeling of lifting the quilt that morning and finding something soft and warm against his chest. He sighs helplessly.

He reaches out and pokes the parrot. “Dabai, wake up.”

The snow-white parrot stirs and opens its eyes sleepily.

“It’s time to start.”

Hearing the man’s reminder, Bai Gaoxing, still a little disoriented, responds, “Mmm, okay.”

The test shoot is short and simple. To save time and maintain the emotions, only scenes with lines are filmed, and there are only a few characters involved.

In the entire Changning Palace, aside from Huang Shaqing, who plays the empress, and Pei Jue, who plays the heroine, there are only two palace maids who have lines to speak to the parrot.

Bai Gaoxing is hung on a rack in the palace, with several cameras aimed at him from different directions.

Before the shoot begins, Pei Jue sighs to Huang Shaqing, “Is it really possible now?”

If anyone has been the most “suffered,” it has to be the female lead. From barging into Changning Palace to the final confrontation, she has lines throughout such a long scene. She has almost worn herself out with all the talking, and still, the scene hasn’t succeeded.

Later, Director Sun decides to postpone this scene, and she feels relieved.

“Director Sun said it’s fine,” Huang Shaqing replies. “But I haven’t heard anything about it either, so let’s just try.”

The camera positions and movements are already familiar to everyone, and they quickly get into character during filming. When the maid sobs and says the four words “Empress,” everyone in the room can’t help but feel their hearts lift.

After a test shot, Director Sun stares at the screen on the monitor, deep in thought.

“…It’s okay.”

It’s just that Dabai is a little bit out of energy.

But even so, Dabai hasn’t forgotten the lines, and the timing is spot-on.

Director Sun stands up and checks his watch. “Get ready. In half an hour, the show will officially begin at nine o’clock.” Director Sun walks over to Li Pu, takes a cigarette, and places it in his mouth, speaking around it. “If it weren’t for Dabai, I really don’t know what I’d do.” He waves his hand. “I’ll go coordinate with the departments first.”

Li Pu stays where he is, thinking for a moment before glancing at the parrot hanging in the hall.

It’s clear that Dabai is far from the state he had been in during yesterday’s practice.

With a sense of responsibility for the crew, Li Pu walks over and gently rubs the parrot’s fluffy head, trying to wake him up.

At that moment, Bai Gaoxing yawns for a long time and finally wakes up.

God knows how he feels when he goes to bed too late and is dragged out of the quilt this morning. The whole bird is still dazed. Even during the shoot just now, he tries his best to stay awake and get the lines right.

Wait, is it over?

Bai Gaoxing glances at the cameras set up around him and the few staff members, feeling a little disappointed. No, I didn’t show my true level just now!

Turning around, Bai Gaoxing hears Li Pu say, “Don’t fall asleep again when the official shooting starts.”

Hmm??

Bai Gaoxing breathes a sigh of relief. Right, they are only doing a trial shoot today. It seems like what had just happened was only a test, and the real shoot will start later.

He is startled for a moment, thinking he has already dozed off.

Now, Bai Gaoxing feels much better.

He looks around at his surroundings. The Changning Palace set is low-key yet luxurious, with exquisite and classical props. It is clear the crew has paid great attention to detail.

With such a dedicated team, he has to give his best! What if this turns into a classic shot?

He thinks for a moment. Is there a way to make the parrot’s imitation in the scene even more exciting?

…

It is nine o’clock in the morning, and the sky is cloudy.

Changning Palace is unusually quiet.

Word has spread that the scene of the heroine confronting Changning Palace will be filmed today. Many actors have rushed there early in the morning, eager to witness history in the making.

Had the parrot named Dabai finally memorized his lines? That’s what they all think at first.

It has been a nightmare—a memory filled with endless NGs. From the initial excitement of watching two talented actresses perform, to later murmurs of “Did the parrot mess up again today?”—it has only taken a week.

Everyone cranes their necks, hoping to catch a glimpse of what is happening, but they are only met with the sight of a trainer walking out holding a cage. Inside is the colorful parrot, Big Head!

“Hey? Not filming anymore?” someone asks, unable to hold back.

“No,” Trainer Xiao Lu shakes his head, “Changed the bird.”

As the trainer walks away, the confused onlookers are left puzzled.

“Didn’t they say… only Big Head could memorize the lines? Did Director Sun give up?”

“I know!” someone chimes in, “I heard they brought in some outside help!”

Another adds, “Big Head couldn’t get the lines right, which delayed progress, so the director decided to bring in Dabai.”

“Oh oh – Dabai! The one raised by Teacher Li?”

“No wonder I kept seeing Director Sun hanging around Teacher Li these past few days.”

“Director Sun hasn’t given up yet? If I were him, I’d just make do with post-production dubbing.”

“Not necessarily this time…”

Outside the venue, people chatter, while inside, the staff stare intently at the monitors, holding their breath.

Even more nervous than the others is Bai Gaoxing. Surrounded by lights and cameras, with a crowd of people watching, he lets out a long breath: Not nervous!

The shooting begins.

The cold woman in her magnificent attire strides in with a stern expression. She quickly scans the empty, silent palace and asks sharply, “Where is the empress?”

The maid in pink looks at her, frowns, and steps forward. “The empress is not here, please go back, Lady Yuan.”

The heroine sneers and retorts loudly, “Did the empress do something wrong? She dare not even see people?”

She glares at the maid who tries to stop her, slowly advancing. “I’ve uncovered the truth. Now, tell me—will the empress save you, or will she silence you forever, so you can never speak again?”

The maid grits her teeth, but it is clear from her frantic eyes and pale face that she is starting to panic.

With just a few words, the heroine presses on until the maid, frightened, begins to tear up. “The empress, she—”

Finally, it’s his turn!

Admiring the actor’s performance, Bai Gaoxing straightens up, clears his throat, and prepares himself.

In Changning Palace, a voice rings out—sharp, cold, and tinged with malice.

“The empress said that if there is no one in the lotus pond at midnight tonight, he will be in trouble.”

Everyone in front of the monitor freezes in shock.

It is flawless. The delivery is smooth, with just the right touch of sluggishness typical of a parrot’s speech.

However, the voice is startlingly similar to that of the palace maid.

The filming staff stand speechless, and the actors are caught off guard, unable to move.

The actress playing the maid is so startled that she instinctively looks around, trying to figure out who has imitated her voice.

Huang Shaqing, waiting behind the curtain, is too stunned to respond.

Meanwhile, Bai Gaoxing, still perched on the shelf, notices the delay in the next line that the empress is supposed to say. He recalls Huang Shaqing’s voice in his mind and speaks for her:

“Let me see who is so ignorant as to break into my Changning Palace without permission!”