I Became Famous After I Became a Parrot in the Movie Star's House - Chapter 97

Recalling his past life, Bai Gaoxing realizes he doesn’t have much to show for himself—except for his linguistic abilities.

His years of living abroad during childhood uncover a natural talent for languages. It isn’t difficult for him to master one or even several foreign languages. This also adds an unexpected joy to his childhood, filling it with happiness his peers can never imagine.

Until later…

Although he sets language aside for a while, the skills he learns so thoroughly in his youth don’t fade with time. In fact, when he picks them up again, they become even more deeply ingrained in him.

Whether it’s the extracurricular activities his high school teacher signs him up for or the college majors he prioritizes, he always chooses what he excels at. Coincidentally, what Li Pu needs now is precisely what he’s good at.

He just isn’t sure… if Li Pu will believe in him.

Bai Gaoxing pokes his head out from under the quilt, his face full of anticipation. “So? How about it? Will you consider me?” After a moment’s thought, he adds, “We’re family, after all! I can even do it without a salary!”

Under the warm light, Li Pu’s figure shifts. His slightly tilted face catches the glow, his expression contemplative.

There’s a chance!

Bai Gaoxing, sensing an opportunity, edges closer. He nearly sits on Li Pu’s quilt, watching eagerly for his answer.

After a long pause, Li Pu’s voice emerges, tinged with curiosity. “…Parrot language translation?”

Bai Gaoxing freezes, confused. “What? No, not English—it’s French.” He gestures animatedly. “French! Don’t you need a French translator and guide?”

He recalls overhearing the agent discussing the script earlier. The upcoming audition and filming will take place abroad, with a significant portion of the dialogue in French. The agent even mentions arranging for language tutors, which makes Bai Gaoxing immediately think of how he can help.

But why does Li Pu think of parrot language?

Wait—

Bai Gaoxing suddenly has a flash of insight. “When you said ‘ying’… you didn’t mean the parrot’s ‘ying,’ did you??”

(Translator’s Notes: Ying (English): This interpretation comes from the phonetic similarity between “ying” and the first syllable of “English” (often transliterated as Yīngwén 英文 in Chinese). The actual Chinese character 鹦 (yīng) means “parrot.”)

Li Pu’s silence is acknowledgment enough.

Bai Gaoxing’s eyes widen, utterly shocked by Li Pu’s unique line of thinking. “How do you even come up with that…”

Li Pu clears his throat softly. He simply follows the train of thought without realizing where it leads.

As for translation… that’s an answer he hasn’t considered.

Initially, he and his agent think of having Dabai stay close by as an assistant, but now it seems there might be other options…

Li Pu looks at the boy leaning so close that their faces are nearly touching. The warm light bathes Dabai’s fluffy white hair, giving it a golden glow that feels foreign yet familiar.

Li Pu ponders for a moment and then asks, “You can speak French?”

“Yes!” Bai Gaoxing nods enthusiastically.

“Is it because you’re from F Country?” Li Pu teases, a glimmer of amusement in his eyes.

However, to his surprise, Dabai’s expression suddenly turns serious. He sits upright on the bed, looking at Li Pu earnestly. “That’s what I want to tell you… Actually, I’m a person.”

Silence stretches between them.

“I remember you say that,” Li Pu finally replies, his voice calm in the quiet room. “A long time ago.”

How long has it been… even Li Pu can’t remember exactly. He only remembers that it’s shortly after he brings Dabai home. At that time, he thinks Dabai is simply mimicking his TV lines.

If only he’d thought deeper back then—

No. Li Pu rubs his temples. Even if he had, he wouldn’t imagine it was something like this.

“That’s not what I mean,” Bai Gaoxing insists. “I mean I was a person before I became a parrot.”

Li Pu’s lips press into a thin line as he remains silent, his expression unreadable.

Bai Gaoxing shrinks back a little. “Did I scare you…”

No, it’s just an eye-opening realization.

Li Pu silently acknowledges it.

The clues have always been there, ever since the young man turns human. Li Pu notices many signs—like the way the young man cries about his graying hair, how he’s familiar with many electrical appliances, and his comprehensive understanding of modern society…

The root cause of the doubts he feels is due to the words the young man mumbles when he first cries in his arms: “I don’t know why I suddenly appeared here,” and “I don’t know if I can go back.”

Go back… where?

At the time, he briefly thinks it might be some kind of fairy kingdom, but now, he finally connects all the dots he’s accumulated over the past few days.

Bai Gaoxing speaks again softly: “And I’m not originally from here… uh, not from this world, I mean… but it’s very similar, kind of like a parallel universe? Do you believe me?”
After saying this, he can’t help but pull the blanket tighter around himself, nervously watching Li Pu’s reaction.

Believe it? Why not?

Li Pu’s calm gaze hides the mental reconstruction of his worldview. Even if the boy claims to be from outer space, he’d probably comfort him with, “Don’t worry, the spaceship will come to pick you up soon.” Compared to a parrot turning into a human, the concept of parallel worlds seems almost scientifically plausible.

So, he replies to the young man, “Actually, you’ve mentioned this before.”

Bai Gaoxing blinks, surprised. “I did?”

“When you were crying,” Li Pu confirms.

Bai Gaoxing opens his mouth, his face turning red as he recalls that chaotic moment when he loses control of his emotions. The accumulated frustration and panic push him to his limit, and turning into a human becomes the last straw. He can’t suppress the feeling of collapse and doesn’t remember what he says.

“…I see… ah.”

Let’s just move on from this topic!

Bai Gaoxing’s toes scratch nervously at the sheets under the quilt, which he now uses to cocoon himself, leaving only the lower half of his face exposed. 

Wanting to escape his embarrassment, he declares, “It’s time to sleep!” trying to sound indifferent, though his voice betrays his nervousness.

Thankfully, it’s night, so it shouldn’t be too noticeable.

He turns over, facing away from Li Pu, muttering a muffled good night.

There’s a faint rustling sound behind him, followed by the mattress dipping slightly—probably Li Pu lying down as well. Feeling reassured, Bai Gaoxing closes his eyes.

But in the next moment, Li Pu turns him over.

“…Will you stay here forever?”

Under the dim light, Li Pu’s deep, quiet eyes stare into his. The warmth of the man’s hand seeps through the quilt, leaving Bai Gaoxing momentarily stunned.

The question lingers, heavy and unspoken.

Bai Gaoxing hesitates before responding, “I don’t know. If one day you wake up and find I’ve disappeared or turned back into a parrot, that probably means I’ve gone back.”

Li Pu stays silent.

“Then… can we sleep?” Bai Gaoxing asks tentatively.

Li Pu doesn’t respond but reaches out to tuck the quilt around Bai Gaoxing. 

Feeling the weight lift from his chest, Bai Gaoxing murmurs a soft thanks, turns over again, and quickly falls asleep.

Watching the boy fall asleep just like that, Li Pu feels a faint sense of helplessness, but it’s quickly overwhelmed by a heavier emotion.

Go back… to where?

Lowering his gaze, Li Pu doesn’t turn off the lights. Instead, he leans against the headboard and picks up his phone.

The faint screen light illuminates his cold expression.

In his search history:

“The ○○ Lover from a Parallel Universe”

“The Girl Who Crossed the ○ World”

“I Became Famous After Becoming the ○○ of the Movie King’s Family”

…

The next morning, Bai Gaoxing wakes up feeling refreshed, though his hair is a tangled mess from rolling around. He yawns and is immediately greeted by the aroma of breakfast wafting through the air.

The drowsiness vanishes instantly, and Bai Gaoxing hurriedly begins trying to untangle his pajamas, which are twisted in the blanket from his restless sleep. He wants to see what delicious food Li Pu has made.

Just as he fumbles to free himself, Li Pu appears in the bedroom doorway.

“You’re awake—” Li Pu stops abruptly, his words catching in his throat.

The boy’s snow-white, bare body stands in full view.

But what catches Li Pu’s attention even more is the purple bruise on the boy’s waist.

Li Pu walks over and asks, “How did this happen?”

“Huh?” Bai Gaoxing blinks, confused for a moment. He follows Li Pu’s gaze and belatedly touches the spot. “Oh… this? I probably hit it in the bathroom the other day.”

Li Pu watches as the boy’s slender fingers touch the bruise. The boy’s pale skin makes the mark stand out even more striking and gruesome.

By now, Bai Gaoxing has managed to wrestle his pajamas into place. As he buttons them, he glances up, noticing the faint shadows under Li Pu’s eyes.

His movements pause for a second as he remembers his restless sleeping habits and tentatively asks, “Did I… bother you last night? You don’t look like you slept well.”

Li Pu, who has spent the whole night reading through parallel universe comics and novels, replies, “…It’s fine.”

Bai Gaoxing becomes more certain and awkwardly touches his nose. “I must’ve been tossing and turning again… How about—”

Before he can finish, Li Pu interrupts, “Let me see.”

Bai Gaoxing waves his hand. “It’s really nothing, just a bump…” But when he sees the concern in Li Pu’s eyes and the unyielding gaze, he slowly lifts the hem of his pajama top. “See? It’s not as bad as it looks. It doesn’t even hurt anymore.”

He has seen it while showering these past few days but hasn’t really thought much of it.

Bai Gaoxing smiles, his eyes curving in a comforting way. “It just looks worse than it is. It’s just how my body works. I bruise easily, and it always takes a while to fade.”

After a long pause, Li Pu puts down the fluffy cloth he has been holding on the table. “Come eat.”

Bai Gaoxing cheerfully follows behind. “Coming~!”

…

After breakfast, Li Pu has two pieces of good news.

“Sister Li agrees to the translation job, but you’ll need to go through the onboarding process to officially join Star Entertainment. And,” he continues, “your household registration should be finalized in the next two days. It’ll make everything much easier going forward.”

Bai Gaoxing’s eyes light up. “That fast?”

“Yep.” Li Pu walks toward the door, grabbing his coat. “I need to step out for a bit, but I’ll be back soon.”

“Oh~ Okay!” Bai Gaoxing replies, sitting up obediently. “Can I play on the computer?”

Li Pu pauses, then says, “…Sure.”

As soon as the door closes, Bai Gaoxing happily settles in front of the computer.

He opens Weibo to check the news but freezes the moment he sees the top trending topic.

“Oh no…”

Hot Search #1: Dabai has been missing for four days!

 【Teacher Li hasn’t posted on Xinghuo for a whole four days!】

【This is so weird! He used to post at least once a day, or sometimes multiple times a day.】

【I’ve had a bad feeling about this… I’ve been worried about Dabai.】

【Can we stop believing everything haters say?】

【Then why hasn’t Li Pu clarified anything? Someone brought this up yesterday, but neither he nor his company have said a word. It’s hard not to overthink.】

【Why does he need to report his pet to you guys, though?】

【But Dabai is a celebrity pet! Everyone cares about him…】

Since two days ago, people have noticed that Li Pu’s Xinghuo account has stopped updating.

Normally, that doesn’t raise suspicion since Li Pu is known to go silent for long periods. But ever since April, he has been posting about Dabai regularly, especially during his downtime.

This time, however, it’s different.

Speculation about Dabai’s absence starts swirling, even giving rise to dark conspiracy theories.

【 I remember Teacher Li doesn’t have any work scheduled right now?】

【Seems like it’s his break time? Haven’t heard the company mention any events.】

【If Dabai was sick, wouldn’t he have said something?】

Even darker speculations are running wild, and Bai Gaoxing, shocked and alarmed, feels a sense of urgency.

If he doesn’t make an appearance soon, Li Pu’s image will be ruined…

Thinking quickly, he remembers the video that his agent recorded yesterday. But when he opens the file, he realizes the draft hasn’t been saved.

He has no choice but to film something now.

Determined, Bai Gaoxing tries to recall the sensation of transforming into a parrot. He concentrates hard but fails repeatedly. He is so absorbed in his own thoughts that he doesn’t notice the sound of a door closing in the living room—Li Pu has already returned.

“Dabai?” Li Pu calls from the living room, but there is no reply.

Carrying a plastic bag, Li Pu walks into the study and freezes at the sight before him.

There sits Bai Gaoxing, his face scrunched in frustration as he stares at the computer screen. His disheveled hair sways with every exasperated tug.

The computer displays the background of Li Pu’s Xinghuo account, with Dabai’s sunglasses-clad avatar staring mockingly back.

“Ugh… what do we do about this…” The boy lets out a frustrated sigh, tugging at his messy hair.

Li Pu can’t help but chuckle quietly, the sound startling the boy, who quickly jumps up to block the computer screen.

It’s probably the first time Li Pu has seen Dabai look so flustered, and he can’t help but feel a bit amused. He deliberately adopts a serious expression.

“What are you doing?”

“Uh, well…” Bai Gaoxing isn’t sure if Li Pu has seen it yet, but he isn’t prepared to admit it!

Then he hears the man slowly speak: “Is this how you have fun when your owner’s not around?”

Bai Gaoxing’s face, which has just shown a forced smile, freezes. His thoughts go blank, unable to form a response.

Huh?

Author’s Note:

Li Pu: Is it really this much fun when I’m not around?

Bai Gaoxing: AHHHHHHHH (scream.jpg)