BFAIBPMSH Chapter 96

There is a commotion outside the door, followed by silence.

Bai Gaoxing hears the sound of hurried footsteps and people pulling outside the bedroom door, mixed with his assistant’s voice calling "Brother Li" and his agent, "Li Pu." Finally, there is a "bang," and everything goes quiet.

"…"

Five minutes ago, he turned back into a parrot.

Five minutes ago, he was furious, scrolling through comments one by one, arguing with those people in his mind. His desire to transform back into a parrot to prove himself grows stronger and stronger, and he is almost desperate to post a new video.

And then, he really transforms.

Just as suddenly as he had turned into a human, Bai Gaoxing only feels his perspective lower dramatically. When he looks down, his clothes are scattered neatly on the ground, his human form completely gone.

He falls silent for a while, then slips out of his collar, flies skillfully to the computer desk, grabs the small microphone, and starts recording a video.

For now, he won’t worry about why he turned back; he’ll just deal with the rumors first!

Bai Gaoxing is afraid he’ll turn back into a human before he can fight back, so he grabs the microphone and begins recording, singing a folk song.

However, just at that moment, the door opens.

When he sees the figure at the door, Bai Gaoxing thinks, “It’s over.”

He knows Li Pu will eventually find a chance to tell the manager and assistant, but he doesn’t expect it to be today, and especially not when he has turned back into a parrot!

Li Pu opening the bedroom door is surely to prove to the manager and assistant that Dabai is, indeed, human.

But he...

Bai Gaoxing looks at his current state in horror—if even Peter Wang thinks Li Pu is delusional—what will his agent think?!

He even hears Li Pu mention the word "psychiatry" before!

Bai Gaoxing panics, not even caring about the video he is filming. He calls out Li Pu’s name, flaps his wings, and tries to reach the doorknob, trying to open it, but it doesn’t budge. As a parrot, he is too weak to move it.

He forces himself to calm down and tries to recall what has triggered the transformation into a parrot. After much effort, he finally turns back into a human.

Only... he is still naked.

Bai Gaoxing feels embarrassed for a moment, grabs the underwear and pants, quickly puts them on, and throws on a two-piece sweater set as he runs out, not even bothering with shoes.

He rushes so fast that when he passes the living room, he suddenly notices the balcony. He skids to a stop and hurries over to the balcony to look.

There is nothing below, just the mournful sound of wind and fallen leaves blowing past.

It’s over!

Bai Gaoxing presses his head against the window, trying to figure out which road they have taken. But he isn’t familiar with the area, having only been out once, and can’t remember the way. He doesn’t even have the key to Li Pu’s house!

Bai Gaoxing anxiously paces around the living room, but there is nothing he can do. It seems like he can only wait for them to come back—at least when the manager comes back to bring Li Pu his clothes for his hospital stay, he will be seen and can hopefully explain everything!

...

While Bai Gaoxing anxiously waits on the sofa, Li Pu has been dragged into a car and heads toward the city center hospital with two people.

“I...”

As soon as Li Pu speaks, he is met with his assistant's endless worry. Even though Lei Li is driving, he can see her watching him through the rearview mirror.

After a moment of silence, he persists, "I know this is hard to believe, but it’s true. How can I make you believe me?"

This line feels so familiar; it seems like he has said it not long ago. Li Pu pauses and adds more forcefully, "I hope you’ll believe me just once."

Upon hearing this, Lei Li’s firm expression softens into helplessness. She parks the car at the side of the road and sighs deeply: "I always thought your condition was fine. It’s my fault for not paying attention that you end up like this... it’s my responsibility..."

Li Pu quickly stops her, realizing that if this continues, Lei Li might be the one who needs to see the psychiatric department. "Sister Li, let’s go back."

Lei Li turns to look at him, her face, usually so exquisite under makeup, now showing signs of wear. "If it’s not as you say, promise me that you’ll start treatment tomorrow."

Li Pu: "..."

It’s hard to imagine what kind of image he has in his agent's eyes now.

But he still nods. "Okay."

Dr. An Xin, on the ninth floor of the city center hospital, sneezes.

The car parked at the side of the road makes a turn and heads back the way it came. As Lei Li ponders which hospital has the better doctors, she is also considering how to arrange for Dabai if Li Pu goes for treatment.

Eventually, the car returns to Li Pu’s house.

The moment they see the white-haired youth sitting on the sofa, the three of them freeze for a moment.

"Li Pu!!!" The young man rushes over, his beautiful black eyes sparkling, then he looks a little embarrassed: "I don’t know what happened just now... Luckily, I turned back, so this should prove it, right?"

What a cute young man. Lei Li's professional instincts kick in at that moment. She calmly analyzes his face and other external features, realizing that he is the type who could debut on the spot—a perfect idol. She wonders where Li Pu has found such a good prospect.

In the next second, she realizes: Oh, he meant that he was Dabai.

She forces herself to calm down and does not rule out the possibility that these two young men are collaborating to deceive her. At that moment, her sharp gaze, typical of a top-tier manager, returns, "I hope your proof can convince me."

Lei Li is no longer young, having worked as a manager in the entertainment industry for over twenty years. Her psychological resilience is strong, but she would never easily believe in things without evidence. During the brief few seconds, she takes the time to analyze: At the least, Li Pu has fallen for a little boy and is trying to deceive her; at worst, Li Pu’s mental health has deteriorated; the best-case scenario… Dabai really has turned into a human.

So, Lei Li looks at Li Pu and the young man, wondering what tricks they can come up with.

Li Pu looks at Bai Gaoxing, then pauses thoughtfully: "Then... should I turn back again?" Bai Gaoxing's pupils shake.

He knows that Li Pu means to prove it personally, but this sentence inexplicably reminds him of the sad story of "a fox who turned human to repay a favor, but the scholar said he liked fur and made it turn back."

If Li Pu actually says that, Bai Gaoxing will bite him!

"Uh... well... I can’t do it."

Bai Gaoxing tries hard, his cheeks flushing, but he remains human.

He can slightly sense that "the stronger the intention, the easier the switch," but in this situation, he finds it a little funny—unable to strengthen his will, he can’t turn back into a parrot.

So, Bai Gaoxing turns to Lei Li, "Can we prove it in another way?"

Thus, he uses the same method of proof as with Peter Wang.

Bai Gaoxing recounts what happens when he is with Lei Li at the company, emphasizing the short video they watched and how delicious the company’s staff meals are.

This isn’t bad. Li Pu, who is listening, realizes he hadn’t expected Dabai to be able to turn back into a parrot. In fact, he originally planned to have Dabai communicate with the agent in parrot form. Now that he thinks about it, the impact of that approach might be too much.

"..." The living room falls silent.

Bai Gaoxing has already anticipated the reactions of the two, but this silence lasts a bit too long. He can't help but move closer to Li Pu.

After a while, they see Lei Li take out her phone and start typing.

Li Pu notices and stiffens, "Sister Li, what are you doing?"

Lei Li calmly replies, "Canceling the psychiatrist appointment I made for you."

Li Pu: "..."

As long as it’s not about Dabai, that’s fine.

Li Pu subconsciously glances to the side, and the young man's soft hair and the slight trembling of his eyelashes from nervousness catch his eye. It reminds him of Dabai's ruffled feathers when he was still a parrot. He raises his hand and gently ruffles the young man’s hair.

The young man is stunned for a moment, then turns around and flashes a soothing smile.

"...Xiao Mei, what do you think?"

Lei Li rubs her forehead and remains silent for a long time, throwing the question to the young man who has been silent up until now.

After hearing the young man recount the details of their interactions, Lei Li is certain that only she and Dabai can know these things. This means that among the two scientific possibilities, the unscientific result is the correct one.

"Ah?" Mei Youshu pauses, "I think... it's good that he became human." Then he gets excited: "I'm not afraid of Dabai in human form!"

??? He actually accepts this well?

Lei Li looks at Mei Youshu with disbelief. Though she knows he is a bit of an otaku and spends his time reading comics and novels, she hadn’t expected it to work in their favor here.

Anyway, she has a massive headache. Lei Li isn’t in the mood to ponder why Mei Youshu is so clueless. She composes herself and moves on to the next question.

"So, what’s next? How do you plan to arrange things for Dabai?"

The next step...

Li Pu speaks seriously: "I’ll register Dabai’s household registration."

"That’s not what I mean." Lei Li can’t help but laugh, "Dabai is a human now. If he stays with you, it’s fine for us who know the truth, but what about people who don’t know? What if the reporters catch a glimpse of him? How are you going to explain that?"

She looks at the young man who has been leaning against Li Pu. The boy's subconscious desire to be close to Li Pu is quite obvious, and he probably hasn’t even noticed it himself. "If I’m not mistaken, Dabai’s identity should definitely be kept secret, right?"

Since they have chosen to tell her, it means... they want her to help cover it up.

Lei Li thinks for a moment. “Perhaps, it would be safer for Dabai if you two live separately.”

Upon hearing this, Bai Gaoxing freezes for a moment, and the hand that has been hanging by his side unconsciously clenches the hem of his clothes.

It seems to make sense... After all, Li Pu is a public figure. If people see him with Li Pu, it will be hard to explain.

It will cause trouble for him…

Bai Gaoxing slightly lowers his head, his fingertips absentmindedly tracing the fabric for a moment. Then he says, “Then I…”

“No,” Li Pu says.

Bai Gaoxing blinks in surprise.

Li Pu has clearly thought this through. His tone is calm and serious. “Rather than having Dabai live outside, it would be safer for him to stay here with me. As for his identity… it’s actually not that difficult.”

Lei Li immediately understands what Li Pu means.

With so many people surrounding a star, it’s clear that Li Pu isn’t at ease with leaving Dabai alone and wants to have him nearby under a reasonable pretext.

She nods. “That’s indeed simple enough.” Then, she looks toward the young man.

The young man, with his snow-white hair, looks both pretty and cute. His entire being exudes a soft and fluffy aura, just like Dabai when he was a parrot. He is looking at her expectantly, and the sparkle in his eyes makes her reluctant to refuse.

But still, a headache comes over her—Lei Li remembers the fleeting thought Li Pu had once had when Dabai's condition had improved, a fleeting desire to have Dabai always by his side.

The way this wish is being fulfilled... it is far more explosive than any news.

“In any case, these details are up to you two,” she says. After chatting a bit more, Lei Li stands up, leaning on her knee. She is wearing high heels, and even though she usually walks with the poise of a towering pine tree, she is slightly unsteady this time. “I’m only responsible for arranging Dabai’s job.”

She pauses, then adds, “But, it’s a prerequisite that there is some form of identification.”

Li Pu nods.

Lei Li falls silent for a moment, then says, “But I must remind you, the audition for that movie is in ten days. Once you’re abroad, you need to figure out how to arrange for Dabai in advance."

Since Li Pu is fine with it, she also has to mention work matters. “Also, the movie’s script has a lot of French lines in addition to English. The company has found a few translation teachers for you, so make sure you check it out when the time comes.”

Lei Li has a simple and straightforward way of thinking. She figures that the best she can do for the young man is to arrange for him to be a temporary life assistant—this role will allow him to stay with Li Pu. But for abroad... that might not work.

A parrot would probably suffer from cultural differences too… Lei Li’s thoughts drift, and she waves at Mei Youshu, signaling for him to leave.

"...So, is everything settled now?" Bai Gaoxing still hasn’t fully reacted, looking at Li Pu with a question in his eyes.

Li Pu nods. “Yes.”

Bai Gaoxing’s eyes light up several degrees.

He can’t help but cheer, his excitement causing him to jump up and tightly hug Li Pu.

Li Pu is caught off guard by the sudden move, his arms instinctively wrapping around the young man’s waist to prevent him from falling.

He’s still so light.

Li Pu adjusts the body in his arms, his hand instinctively tightening and then relaxing. After the young man jumps down and continues celebrating, Li Pu's gaze lingers on him. He had once thought Dabai was plump when he was a parrot, but now he is slender and delicate.

It seems like he needs to feed him more.

...

Night falls, and it is time for bed.

The living room lights have been turned off, leaving only a soft light in the bedroom.

Bai Gaoxing rushes into the bed first, watching the man walk in from the door. He stretches out his hand and pats the bed, “Come quickly! I want to tell you something.”

He looks expectant.

Li Pu, still holding the audition script in his hand, glances over at the boy when he hears him.

Li Pu sits on the edge of the bed.

Because he is sitting with his back to the light, Bai Gaoxing can’t see his expression clearly, but his heart beats faster, and his anxiety grows stronger—ever since he turned back into a parrot today, he has become even more unsettled about what might happen in the future. He can almost imagine it—maybe one day in the near future, he will suddenly return to being a parrot, without having time to say goodbye to Li Pu.

Just thinking about that possible situation makes him feel a wave of loss and regret filling his chest.

So... he has to tell Li Pu.

At least, by that time, Li Pu won’t keep searching for him or waiting for him to return.

Bai Gaoxing doesn’t consider himself an overly sentimental person, but the mere thought of such regret makes it hard to breathe. Rather than leaving silently, he would rather clear up the truth now and prepare Li Pu mentally.

But as soon as the words come out, he can’t help but change his mind.

"I think... I have a job I can do."

Li Pu looks at the young man in the bed. His eyes sparkling with a bit of moisture, reflecting the soft light.

“Aren’t you supposed to go shoot the movie?”

Ah, so that’s it. Li Pu closes the script, sensing that the boy is probably worried he won’t take him along when filming. "What’s wrong?"

“It’s about work. I’ve thought of something I can do.”

Li Pu plays along, “What is it?”

Bai Gaoxing slowly pulls the quilt down a little and says seriously, "Translation."

Li Pu: "......?"

Author's Note:

Li Pu: Then... Teacher Bai?

Bai Gaoxing: (￣▽￣)ノ

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