BFAIBPMSH Chapter 95

"How long is this going on?"

"What?"

"Delusions."

In the living room, Peter Wang points to his own head, his expression unusually deep.

Li Pu and Bai Gaoxing sit at opposite ends of the sofa, miles apart, while Peter Wang sits on a small stool, positioned squarely between them.

Peter Wang takes a deep breath. "I know you..." He pauses when he sees Bai Gaoxing, then continues, "I know your situation, but there's no way you'd treat a young man as a stand-in for Dabai, right?"

He looks back at Bai Gaoxing. "Hmm... this is the most natural and best-looking hair dye job I’ve ever seen. You're young enough to become a model or just find some random job. You shouldn't waste your youth on this."

Bai Gaoxing: "Pfft."

Peter Wang: "What are you laughing at?"

Li Pu clasps his hands together, sighing helplessly. When he decides to tell this story, he knows his childhood friend won’t believe it easily—but he doesn’t expect the suspicion to turn back on him.

"I know it’s hard to believe. I was shocked too at first." Li Pu thinks for a moment before turning to Bai Gaoxing. "What should I say for you to believe?"

Wang Peter raises an eyebrow, his expression reading, Go ahead, I’ll wait for you to make something up. "Unless he can tell me what happened in the shelter."

He hasn’t even told Li Pu about those events.

The next second, a clear voice chimes in: "The shelter is called La Maison des Animaux. The director is Marion, 40 years old. The cage next to me holds a lame blue cat and a Czech wolfhound that has just been rescued."

Bai Gaoxing digs up the few memories the parrot has, not letting any detail slip by. Seeing Peter Wang’s astonished expression, he asks nervously, "...Did I get it right?"

Silence.

Peter Wang: "...Is this really Dabai?" His tone suggests his brain is on the verge of short-circuiting.

He carefully looks at the boy again. His snow-white hair is unmistakably natural, without any dye. The delicate face is more refined than any star on screen, especially that tuft of gray hair—he still remembers it clearly because he once remarked why it wasn’t purely white. Even cosplay couldn’t achieve such detail. Could this really be Dabai, the parrot?

And then there’s the way the boy says ‘the cage next to me.’ The phrasing sounds disturbingly real, as if he has actually been there.

And, well, he was there.

Peter Wang remembers noticing the blue cat and wolfdog when he visited the shelter. Apart from the animals, only the director and the staff know about it. He rakes a hand through his bright golden hair, disheveling it entirely. His expression, however, is surprisingly calm. After a few steady breaths, he says, "I believe you."

Bai Gaoxing is stunned. Wow. He doesn’t expect Wang Peter to accept the truth faster than Li Pu!

Even Li Pu shows a hint of surprise. For a moment, he wonders—Am I the one who’s abnormal?

"Then, what is your request for Dabai?" Wang Peter asks, struggling to say the nickname naturally as he looks at the boy.

"Register for household registration," Li Pu replies in four simple words.

Wang Peter wipes his face, nodding. "That’s right. Dabai has no identity now and can’t do anything without one."

He carefully recalls the relevant procedures. There’s a birth certificate, but it’s for a parrot. If they tried to register it, he’d probably get kicked out as a lunatic. As for other options... perhaps proof from a school or a company? But Dabai obviously doesn’t have either.

He pauses, his gaze growing deeply unsettling. "Actually, there’s a simpler way."

"What?"

"You two get married," Peter Wang says. "Then you can register Dabai with you directly."

Li Pu: "..."

Peter Wang chuckles. "I’m just kidding. I’ll ask someone who knows better and let you know once I have the answer." With that, he stands up. "I’m a bit dizzy, I’ll head back now."

Li Pu also stands to see him off.

After sending him off, Bai Gaoxing looks at Li Pu. "It seems like we scare him..."

"It’s fine, he’s always had good tolerance." Li Pu seems to remember something and turns around. "And he won’t spill anything."

It feels as if those words are specifically meant for him—was it to reassure him? Bai Gaoxing dazedly nods, "Thank you."

Li Pu is momentarily stunned, then lowers his gaze, "No need to thank me."

Bai Gaoxing smiles and moves closer to Li Pu.

Li Pu fiddles with his fingers, suppressing the impulse to raise his hand and pat the boy's head. Just then, Peter Wang's call comes in.

"Big Li, I had a dream while walking on the street just now. I dreamt I went to find you and saw Dabai in human form. Isn't that strange?"

Because he accidentally hits the speakerphone, Li Pu glances at the boy beside him, who is about to burst out laughing, and cruelly shatters his shaky worldview: "That isn’t a dream."

...

After that, Bai Gaoxing gets permission from Li Pu to use the computer.

Watching the boy start the computer at lightning speed and type away, Li Pu had intended to mention the login password but silently swallows his words.

...When did he even tell Dabai the password?

Li Pu thinks briefly before choosing to give up, looking back at the boy in the study. His proficiency is so natural... witnessing it firsthand feels different than seeing it on a surveillance screen.

Li Pu pours a glass of water and, as he walks over, receives a cautious glance from the boy.

At this moment, Bai Gaoxing is nervously using the computer.

As soon as his hand touches the mouse, his body’s memory kicks in. After a few clumsy clicks, he quickly grasps the more intricate operations and starts surfing the web.

He has to admit, it feels amazing to use the computer so openly. After quickly skimming through recent news, he looks over at Li Pu, who isn’t nearby, and opens the search engine.

He searches for the same questions he had looked up when he was still a parrot.

Maybe it’s just to confirm something? Bai Gaoxing has always wondered if he hadn’t searched carefully enough the first time. But now, after this second attempt, he finally feels reassured.

—Then his attention quickly shifts. While Li Pu is still away, he discreetly opens the Xinghuo platform.

It has probably been three days since he last posted a video. He wonders if his fans miss him…

Bai Gaoxing feels a little uneasy. According to his usual routine, his fans are used to him posting videos daily when Li Pu doesn’t have any schedules, sometimes even posting several. But now, suddenly halting, he isn’t sure if they’ll be anxiously waiting…

Clicking into the account’s backend—

Oh no!

There are numerous private messages. Every one he opens is asking why he hasn’t posted a new video, wanting to see Dabai, asking how Dabai has been lately, if he’s sick, or…

Mixed among the messages are comments from black fans: “A movie star who can’t even take care of a bird,” “He must be dead after not posting for so many days,” “He’ll just get a new one soon.”

The negativity makes Bai Gaoxing furious.

He’s so enraged that he immediately moves the mouse to record a video to refute their claims and slap those trolls in the face.

But just as he’s about to click record, he freezes.

Wait. No. He isn’t a parrot anymore.

Damn it! So what now? Is he supposed to let these trolls insult him in vain? Or worse, let Li Pu take the heat?

Bai Gaoxing can’t accept it, and his eyes show a bit of melancholy. Li Pu still doesn’t know he has posted these videos, and he doesn’t know when to tell him—maybe when Li Pu is in a good mood?

Bai Gaoxing sighs deeply, his mood growing melancholic.

So troublesome, he suddenly feels that being human isn’t perfect either… He really wants to turn back into a bird for a while, slap their faces, then turn back into a human to type and mock them!

...

Meanwhile, Lei Li strides quickly from the company to the parking lot, her assistant, Mei Youshu, hurrying behind to keep up. "Li Pu hasn’t posted on Xinghuo in three days? Anything else? Keep talking,"

"Brother Li told me he’s going to see a psychiatrist, and he even asked me to find him some comics. But later, he says he doesn’t need to go. When I visit him at home yesterday, he seems fine, but..."

As they walk from the company to the parking lot, Lei Li moves quickly, with Mei Youshu trying to catch up behind, reporting on what has happened in the past couple of days.

"But what?" Lei Li pauses and looks over with a gaze that is extremely serious.

"But..." Mei Youshu hesitates, still rattled by what he has seen. "Brother Li’s balcony is full of clothes, but none of them are his size or style. There are several smaller shoes in the shoe cabinet. The toothbrushes and cups in the bathroom seem to be for two people..."

Lei Li’s gaze turns cold as ice.

If it were any other artist, she would think it is normal—she has dealt with those kinds of situations before—artists who think their popularity has gone to their heads, start bringing people home, even start cohabitating, only to be photographed by paparazzi, causing the PR department to panic.

But this is Li Pu.

She can guarantee that, even if all the other artists in the world are causing trouble, Li Pu would never do something so out of line.

The only possible explanation is...

Lei Li gets into the car, fastens her seatbelt, and says to Mei Youshu, who is in the passenger seat, "Sit tight. Send him a message telling him we’re on our way."

"Okay, okay."

"What kind of comics?" she asks.

"Well..." Mei Youshu summarizes the comic content he has collected until midnight, "Pets turning into humans?"

At that moment, Li Pu, who is making lunch at home, receives a message from his assistant.

【Youshu: Brother Li, I’ll be going over with Sister Li later.】

Li Pu glances at the two servings of rice on the table and then turns to the boy. "Hide in the room."

Bai Gaoxing has learned his lesson this time and swears that even if the roof is blown off, he won’t go out.

"Yeah... even if the three of you start fighting, I’m not going out!" he adds.

"...I’ll find a chance to tell them about this," Li Pu says, "It just can’t be too sudden."

It would be more credible for him to tell them than for them to meet Dabai directly—maybe?

Li Pu has carefully considered whether he should tell Sister Li and Mei Youshu about this. These two are the people he trusts most in his work, just like he trusts his childhood friend Peter Wang. He is sure they will keep Dabai’s secret—However, having Dabai turn into a human while still living under the same roof would raise questions, especially since Dabai has disappeared so suddenly. Without anyone to cover up the situation, it will be difficult for Li Pu to come up with a convincing explanation on his own. The most likely people to doubt him first will be his closest assistant and manager…

What he can do, and has to do, is prepare all the necessary conditions to ensure Dabai can live here reasonably.

...Thinking about it this way, it’s easier for Dabai to stay here as a human than as a parrot. He has many reasons to keep Dabai by his side.

Bai Gaoxing, however, shifts his focus to something else. "Do you think they’ll believe you?"

Thinking back to Peter Wang’s reaction, it seems... uncertain.

Li Pu softens his tone. "I’ll do my best."

Bai Gaoxing nods. He doesn’t mind revealing his identity to others—in fact, he is very touched that Li Pu is going to such lengths for him.

Besides...

Unless someone witnesses something truly unscientific, most people won’t believe it, even if you tell them! Bai Gaoxing silently complains.

The study door slowly closes, and about ten minutes later, the doorbell rings, marking the arrival of today’s second group of guests.

"Li Pu."

Lei Li looks at the man who opens the door, her gaze gentle, no longer as serious as it had been in the car. "How have you been these past few days?"

Li Pu looks at her, his tone calm. "Alright."

He then turns to Mei Youshu, who is standing behind Lei Li. Realizing that his abrupt phone call the other day might have startled her, he steps aside to let them in. "Come in."

As Lei Li enters, she first looks around the balcony, seeing no clothes as Mei Youshu had described. Then she looks at the dining table. "Did you just make lunch?"

"Yeah," Li Pu answers. "Do you want to join me?"

"No, I ate on the plane." Lei Li glances at Mei Youshu, signaling that she doesn’t sense anything unusual about Li Pu.

The three of them sit down on the sofa, and after a long silence, Lei Li is the first to speak.

"That day..." Lei Li clearly remembers the phone call from that morning, as it seems like the start of something strange with Li Pu. "What did you mean when you said 'it’s not you' on the phone?" She gently probes, hoping not to provoke him. "Is that why you haven’t posted on Xinghuo recently?"

"..." He has forgotten about that.

Li Pu stays silent for a moment, but the longer he remains quiet, the more abnormal it makes him seem.

"It was me."

He says, "I was the one who posted it."

As he says this, Li Pu lowers his gaze.

At the end of the day, he still has secrets that he doesn’t want to share with them yet—secrets that belong only to him and Dabai.

However, Lei Li isn’t as relieved as she expects. Instead, her concern grows.

Having seen Li Pu lower his gaze before when he’s uncomfortable, Lei Li tightly suppresses her unease and says, "Alright."

They exchange a few more words, and finally, Li Pu shows an expression that looks like he has made up his mind. "Sister Li, there’s something I want to tell you."

Finally, she thinks. Now that the moment has come, she won’t be surprised no matter what happens. If he’s sick, he can get treatment. If he wants to quit, he can take a break and travel the world. As long as Li Pu is okay, it isn’t a big deal.

Her expression softens with concern. "What is it?"

Li Pu is silent for a moment and then says, "Dabai has turned into a human."

Well, okay, it looks like the world is finally going to end, and her career is probably over too.

Lei Li maintains her smile, finally understanding the meaning of the comic content Mei Youshu mentioned earlier. Her heart sinks—such a great artist, but because of potential psychological issues, he has become so dependent on Dabai, even turning him into a human.

"When did you… start thinking Dabai was human?" she asks delicately.

Li Pu frowns. He too realizes that his words sound strange, but he can’t find any other way to express it. After all, it’s so beyond common sense that no one would have come up with this line of thought.

So he stands up. "He’s in the room right now. You’ll see for yourselves."

Lei Li and Mei Youshu exchange a glance before following him.

The door to the study slowly opens.

A clear voice comes from inside.

The three of them step inside at the same time, and there, on the table, sits a snow-white parrot with a microphone, singing loudly.

It’s over.

All three—two humans and one bird—think the same thing.

In the heavy silence, Li Pu slowly closes the door again, his expression calm. "I can explain."

"Don’t explain." Lei Li can’t help but take out a cigarette, biting it between her teeth, her hands trembling. "Mei Youshu, grab him. Let’s go!"

---

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