I Became Famous After I Became a Parrot in the Movie Star's House - Chapter 88

For a moment, Li Pu thinks he is hallucinating.

He stares at the screen of his phone, his fingertips sliding from top to bottom, his eyes gradually filling with disbelief.

One hundred.

Not just one, as he has thought, but a hundred short videos.

Li Pu’s eyes move slowly over the cover of the videos, his brows furrowing deeper and deeper.

So many short videos—it is clear they can’t have been accumulated in just a day or two.

He scrolls down the page again and clicks on the first video.

In the video, the fluffy white parrot stares at the camera, looking somewhat overwhelmed. But after a moment of daze, it raises its claws and touches its head.

The gray bird claws move flexibly, combing through the soft feathers, and the parrot makes a very cute expression of enjoyment, its beak slightly open, showing a small bit of its tongue.

After the white parrot finishes preening itself, the video ends.

Li Pu is the first to notice this. In the fifty-two-second video, the background doesn’t move, as if it is fixed in place, and Dabai simply stands in front of the camera, completing all the actions.

This is amazing.

In his experience, Dabai rarely stays in one place unless it is sleeping, watching TV, or dozing off against him.

Of course, it is rare to see it preening its feathers like this.

Contrary to what people on the internet say, his Dabai doesn’t enjoy preening its feathers like other parrots. Instead, it just pecks at its feathers occasionally to prevent stray ones from falling out.

…So who shot this incredibly steady video?

However, the background is just a blur of light and shadow, and nothing can be seen clearly.

Li Pu clicks on the second video.

The second video features Dabai reciting a poem. The white parrot speaks clearly, its head moving slightly with the rhythm. It takes one minute and twenty seconds to recite the entire poem.

Li Pu’s frown deepens.

He has never heard Dabai recite this poem before.

After watching the two videos, Li Pu has a vague sense of foreboding—the content of these 100 videos might be things he has no memory of.

And it seems they’re all about Dabai?

Li Pu swipes his finger across the screen again. The video thumbnails form patches of white snow, scattered across the grid. Some show the parrot’s outline, while others focus on specific parts of the parrot’s body.

…Why are they only filming Dabai?

The living room is eerily quiet, and the white parrot is still sleeping in its cage. Li Pu feels as if his thoughts have hit a dead end.

He subconsciously glances up at the time. It is nine o’clock. According to his usual routine, he should be going to bed.

But tonight, he doesn’t feel the least bit sleepy.

Li Pu slowly stands up with his phone in hand, his eyes still glued to the screen, oblivious to everything else around him.

The parrot in the cage seems to have woken up, flapping its wings and making a subtle sound that causes the cage to shake. Li Pu, however, has already returned to the bedroom with his phone, just a second before the parrot manages to get out of the cage.

He closes the door behind him.

He needs to be alone for a while, Li Pu thinks, to see how much information he can gather from these videos.

—In fact, he already has a guess, but it is too late to call his agent for confirmation tonight.

Once the bedroom door is shut, Bai Gaoxing fully opens his sleepy eyes and, as usual, calls out, “Hungry, hungry, food.”

If Li Pu hadn’t been asleep yet, he would have definitely come out to give him something to eat.

But today… has he slept too long and missed it?

After waiting for a while without seeing anyone, Bai Gaoxing slowly walks to the bedroom door, ready to take a peek, but instead finds the door firmly closed.

“…” Well… looks like you went to bed early today too.

Bai Gaoxing mutters to himself, surprised that Li Pu hasn’t added food to his food box before going to bed. Maybe he has forgotten? Bai Gaoxing wanders around the living room for a bit, then decides to curl up on the sofa and watch TV quietly.

The flickering light from the screen reflects on the snow-white wall, gently pulsating with the images. The room temperature has dropped in November, but Bai Gaoxing is still warm enough in his down jacket, so he hasn’t slept under the quilt with Li Pu.

Of course, the real reason is the annoying static electricity. After a day full of crackling, he isn’t too keen on being touched by Li Pu just yet.

Bai Gaoxing smacks his lips and suddenly thinks that it might be more convenient to sleep with Li Pu, so he can get some food in time.

It’s decided! I’ll grab the quilt tomorrow!

The no-snuggling plan quietly fails within 24 hours. Bai Gaoxing turns a few circles on the sofa, finds a comfortable spot, turns off the TV, and falls asleep again.

…

Li Pu can’t sleep.

After watching a few videos, he shifts his attention to the comment section.

It is clear that these are all from his fans, but everyone is urging him to update, as if they have no idea that he hasn’t posted any of these videos.

He is sure he hasn’t posted them.

In that video, Dabai quietly climbs up from behind the sofa, as if it wants to play with his hair, and spreads its wings above his head, as if stretching.

And he hasn’t known a thing about it.

Li Pu carefully recalls the moment and confirms again that he has no memory of it at all—he can only be sure about the footage he shot with Dabai before going on “Cute Pet Diary.”

His thoughts scatter instantly. Li Pu purses his lips, sits up from the bed, and slowly scans the entire room.

Could it be… a pinhole camera?

He remembers that before moving to this community, he experienced being stalked by obsessive fans who secretly followed him to his home and installed cameras and eavesdropping equipment, causing quite a stir at the time. In the end, those people received the punishment they deserved, and he moved to the safer, more confidential Huantong Garden, which brought an end to the chaos.

But the possibility of that happening again is quite small.

Li Pu quickly dismisses the idea. Aside from the excellent privacy of this community, the videos’ sole focus is on Dabai, which is also suspicious.

And… even the avatar seems to be specifically chosen.

Li Pu looks at the white parrot in the profile picture, opens the full image, and notices that the parrot is wearing a small pair of sunglasses on its beak, crudely drawn.

“…”

Time passes second by second. Li Pu watches the background of the Xinghuo account, with no trace of sleepiness in his eyes.

…

A night passes, and the sky begins to brighten slightly.

Bai Gaoxing has slept soundly, and because he slept so much the previous day, he wakes up unusually early.

He stretches his wings and legs happily, waiting for Li Pu to get up as usual.

“Click.” The bedroom door opens.

It is time to eat. Bai Gaoxing looks toward the sound, excited, but his expression freezes as soon as he sees Li Pu.

Li Pu, what’s wrong with you, Li Pu!?

The tired look, the dark circles under his eyes, the heavy expression… It isn’t the first time Bai Gaoxing has seen this. Whenever Li Pu can’t sleep through the night, he looks like this. But it has been so long since he’s seen Li Pu like this that he’s almost forgotten it’s even possible.

Why… suddenly like this again?

Worry fills Bai Gaoxing’s eyes. He watches as Li Pu moves toward the closet and begins putting on his coat, as if he is about to go for a run. Bai Gaoxing can’t stay silent anymore and flies over to stop him.

Are you crazy!? Do you want to drop dead from exhaustion!?

But Li Pu merely strokes his head and continues putting on his coat.

Seeing this isn’t working, Bai Gaoxing flies to the top of the cage and shouts, “Eat! Eat!”

Li Pu pauses, then comes over to fill his food box. But after that, he turns and walks out again.

What’s going on!? Bai Gaoxing feels a growing anxiety and, not even bothering to eat, hops out of the cage and rushes over to Li Pu.

If only I had a hook! He tries to grab Li Pu’s collar and pull him back, but with all the layers of autumn and winter clothes, he can’t get a good grip.

Li Pu notices his actions, and with a sigh, says, “Don’t make trouble,” before gently removing him from his collar and placing him back on top of the cage.

How could Bai Gaoxing let Li Pu walk away so easily? He flies over to him again, muttering, “Play with me.” That phrase always works well. When Li Pu hears it, he puts down whatever he’s doing and plays with him.

But today, it is completely useless.

What’s going on?

Bai Gaoxing clings to the cage, biting the wire hard, but it’s no use. He can only watch Li Pu’s figure disappear from his sight.

…

“Sister Li.”

Li Pu stands in a corner of the community park, calling his agent.

“Calling me so early?” The woman on the other end sounds like she’s still asleep. After a few seconds, her voice becomes more alert. “What’s wrong?”

“… I logged into Xinghuo yesterday.”

Li Pu now has a slight headache. He has stayed up all night, watching all 100 videos and reading the comments. But there are so many comments that he hasn’t even gotten through them all.

“Hmm? You logged into Xinghuo?” Lei Li’s voice carries a hint of surprise. “Not bad, planning to post yourself?”

Hearing this, Li Pu’s tense mood, which started the night before, eases a bit. This phrase sounds like it implies that the videos before were all posted by the company.

However, the information he gathered last night makes him realize that the situation is far from this simple, so he carefully asks, “My account… hasn’t the company taken over?”

“Taken over? Who’s taking care of it?” Lei Li laughs. She seems to think for a moment before continuing, “We discussed this before. You didn’t want to live stream, so we agreed not to take over the account. It was considered private. I even told you about this; you should remember, right?”

“I remember,” Li Pu replies.

Lei Li continues, “We even bet that you wouldn’t use Xinghuo until you retire. Never expected you’d suddenly post and even live stream.”

Since it’s the first time Li Pu discusses live streaming with her, Lei Li can’t help but say a bit more. “I was planning to ask you about it, but since it’s your personal account, I didn’t ask too much. I only had Xiao Mei remind you once. And…”

And because he finds it difficult to switch between personal and work life, she doesn’t want to pry too much into his private matters.

Li Pu fills in what Lei Li wants to say in his mind, and he realizes that she must have known about this from the start.

At this moment, his heart sinks further.

“It wasn’t me.”

“What?”

“These videos…”

Li Pu pauses. He hadn’t planned to exercise when he went downstairs today. He wanted to cool off in the wind. Yesterday’s forecast predicted a drop in temperature, and this morning is indeed colder than usual. The wind helps clear his mind.

But at that moment, his mind feels clearer than ever.

“Li Pu,” Lei Li says, her tone full of concern. “Don’t scare me.”

“…” After a pause, Li Pu takes a deep breath. “Nothing, I was just joking.”

The words feel flat, completely lacking any humor.

Lei Li glances at the phone, her eyes narrowing. Hearing that from Li Pu is like a shock to the system.

Knowing her artist well, she immediately becomes serious. “Li Pu, is something wrong with you?”

“No.” His answer is sharp and clear this time.

Lei Li’s frown softens a little. “If you’re feeling off, you need to tell me. Should I come over to check on you?”

“No need.” Li Pu’s tone is steady. “I’m fine.”

“…Really?”

“Yeah.”

Lei Li’s voice grows serious again. “I’m going on a business trip for the next couple of days. If anything comes up, call Xiao Mei.”

“Okay.”

Once the call ends, Li Pu looks out towards his home, feeling an even stranger suspicion gnawing at him.

…

Back at home, Li Pu releases the parrot from its cage. The snow-white bird immediately rubs against him, pressing its head to his chest in an affectionate gesture, looking silly and cute.

Especially those black, round eyes that stare at him, as if asking why it has been locked in the cage.

Li Pu reaches out to pet its head, then scatters a handful of melon seeds onto the table before heading toward the bedroom. However, just as he is about to step through the door, he pauses and glances back. The parrot is still watching him.

…

Before opening the monitoring software, Li Pu logs into Xinghuo again.

Looking back at the first video, he notices it is dated April 25.

It has been so long ago.

If he hadn’t seen the filming notes in the comments, he wouldn’t have realized how early the first video had been shot.

At that time, the home surveillance system hadn’t been installed yet.

Li Pu distinctly remembers that he’d asked his assistant to install the surveillance after filming The Long Song, intending to make sure Dabai wouldn’t feel lonely when he was away. However, he hasn’t really been away from Dabai much after that, so the surveillance has hardly been used.

No… Actually, he did check it once.

It was on the way to the official promotion for The Long Song, when he turned on the surveillance and saw the white parrot lounging on the sofa in the living room.

It looked perfectly normal.

With that thought, Li Pu’s tense mood lightens just a little. How could there be something this absurd… There must be something hidden in these 100 videos that even he wasn’t aware of.

After updating the software to the latest version, Li Pu begins to set the viewing time.

The surveillance system can store footage for up to a month, so Li Pu pulls up the records from yesterday morning, the day the last video was uploaded.

Li Pu stares intently at his phone screen, refusing to let his attention waver for even a moment.

At 6:30 AM, his figure appears on the screen.

After he goes downstairs, the white shadow of the parrot flies out of the bedroom.

The parrot first circles the living room a few times, then lands on the electronic screen near the balcony and presses the power button.

When the screen turns on, the parrot hops over to the closet nearby—there are a lot of random items inside, and Li Pu can’t quite figure out what it is doing.

Until the parrot grabs an ellipsoid-shaped object and places it on the coffee table.

It is the video recorder.

Li Pu clenches his fingers together, unconsciously applying pressure, making his fingertips turn white.

He keeps watching.

After placing the recorder on the table, Dabai adjusts its position with its claws, then stands in front of it and coughs a few times, as if preparing to speak.

Li Pu suddenly understands why the shots in these videos are so stable and consistent.

Li Pu suddenly understood why the shots in these videos were so stable and consistent.

Dabai doesn’t speak directly, but flies back to the screen and scratches it with its claws.

It… seems like it can type.

Li Pu squints at the text appearing in the blank search bar and adjusts the screen distance, trying to zoom in.

But due to the screen’s reflection, it isn’t very clear.

Maybe it’s just an accident that it stepped on something.

Li Pu tells himself that, but the next second, he hears the parrot say: “Master’s not home today, just having fun!”

After saying that, it flies back to the screen and taps it a few more times, causing the screen to echo: “Master’s not home today, just having fun!”

Li Pu falls silent.

He knows this device can connect to software backgrounds, and the video recorder can upload videos directly, but how could Dabai perform these operations? Has it learned how to do it while Li Pu was using it?

Li Pu chuckles at his own thoughts. The corners of his lips twitch upward, but his eyes betray a hidden sense of doubt.

The more he watches the footage, the more unsettled he becomes.

The filming of Cute Pet Diary lasted about a month, and he only returned home for two days because of the award ceremony. During those two days, Dabai uploaded eleven videos.

Li Pu double-checks the dates of the videos, and they match perfectly.

It isn’t accurate down to the exact minute and second, but judging from the lighting, it’s likely early morning.

Early morning… when he wasn’t at home.

Before filming The Long Song, Li Pu spends most days at the library or the hospital, away from home for long stretches.

It’s a shame there wasn’t surveillance at that time… otherwise, he might have witnessed even more surprising scenes.

So what exactly is going on here?

Li Pu doesn’t know if a parrot can be this clever. On one hand, it seems plausible, but on the other, it feels almost impossible.

He’s more inclined to believe Dabai is exceptionally smart, but this seems like an unreasonable level of intelligence.

Li Pu takes a deep breath and sets his phone aside. He realizes he needs to observe the details he has missed in his everyday routine before making any decisions.

Li Pu opens the door.

Bai Gaoxing, who has been eavesdropping outside the bedroom door, is startled. His feathers bristle.

He flaps his wings and backs away, relieved to see that the man is fine. He hops twice on the floor and chirps, “Hello! Cuddle!”

Bai Gaoxing waits for Li Pu to lean down and pet his head, but this time, he doesn’t.

And…

Bai Gaoxing blinks. He isn’t sure if it’s just his imagination, but it seems like Li Pu is looking at him strangely?