IBFAIBPMSH Chapter 20

Li Pu sits on the edge of the bed, silent for dozens of seconds, before lifting his fingers to nudge the fluffy white bundle.

The bundle squirms a few times, letting out some dissatisfied squeaks, but doesn’t even bother pulling its head out from under its wings.

Not only that, it rolls on the bed sheet and changes to a half-lying position.

Li Pu: "..."

He hears that when a parrot lies down, it’s a sign that it trusts its owner. But the idea of actually sharing a bed with a pet...

He lowers his eyes, and the big white parrot in front of him seems to be sleeping soundly, with soft feathers rising and falling with its breathing, making it feel like waking it up would be a crime.

Li Pu sits by the bed, helplessly watching for a while before making a decision quite out of character for him.

***

The next morning, Li Pu wakes up to a faint, dull pain on his face.

He opens his eyes, turns his head, and sees that the parrot that slept at the head of the bed last night perches by his pillow, retracting its hooked beak and looking at him with a surprisingly well-behaved expression.

There might be a mark, but at least the skin isn’t broken.

Last night, he didn't drive Dabai away but let it sleep on his bed. He doesn’t expect that Dabai, who usually sleeps late, would wake up earlier than him today...

With a light sigh, Li Pu sits up, rubbing his temples, which are a bit sore from disrupting his usual sleep cycle. The first thing he does is check the corners of the bedsheet.

Bai Gaoxing sees Li Pu's actions, first tilting his head in confusion, and suddenly understands what the man is looking at, his face darkening.

He jumps to the spot where he slept, scratching around with his claws to prove that he has definitely not left any stains on the bedsheet.

Li Pu looks down at the wrinkled bedsheet, then at the short, frayed threads caught by the parrot’s hooked nails, and massages his aching forehead before moving the parrot to its nearby perch.

Every morning, he has a routine: clean the shell fragments, wipe down the perch, and change the water. It’s all very simple for Li Pu. The situation described on the Internet—"husks splashed all over the floor, and he poops wherever he goes"—does not happen to him at all. There are no scattered shells, no rogue messes. Everything is spotlessly clean, making him feel like he isn’t even raising a pet.

Then he adds some bird food to the cage, and that’s it...

Bai Gaoxing watches Li Pu walk out of the bedroom. After a brief pause, the bird hops onto the windowsill, gazing pensively at the pale morning sun just beginning to peek out.

He is such a fool, really. How could he have thought yesterday that the other would abandon him and felt so depressed about it?

But he hates separation. That much is true.

After preening his feathers for a bit, Bai Gaoxing cheers up and glides outside, determined to have his first meal of the day!

...

Li Pu only knows that assistants help artists with their work and daily life. He doesn’t expect that it also includes the service of feeding birds at home.

Is that too much?

Bai Gaoxing looks at the familiar young man suspiciously. The guy still has that upright and proper look on his face, and even with sunglasses on, he exudes a sense of righteousness—but he doesn’t dare look in Bai Gaoxing's direction.

Yes, Mei Youshu arrives wearing sunglasses. For a moment, Bai Gaoxing thinks that Li Pu has gotten into trouble with some infamous CEO, and that a bodyguard has been sent over to beat someone up.

"Hello? Who are you? What are you doing here?"

Bai Gaoxing tilts his head and fires off three rapid questions, jumping forward a few times and successfully making the other party retreat a good distance.

The short-haired young man forces a smile, clearly feeling awkward. "Brother Li, Sister Li asked me to come early to get familiar with the place. She is worried that Dabai won't adjust well."

Li Pu nods. Since the parrot is smart enough to recognize people, it might refuse food from strangers if they aren’t introduced beforehand.

But...

He sighs helplessly. "You could’ve had someone else handle this for you."

Mei Youshu smiles. "It's my responsibility. I don’t trust anyone else to do it."

Good reasoning! But Bai Gaoxing catches his muttered words: "Besides, Sister Li offered too much money..."

"What?" Li Pu turns around.

"No, nothing," Mei Youshu quickly waves his hand and changes the subject. "By the way, Brother Li, where’s Dabai’s food? What kind of water does he drink? Any special instructions I should know?"

Bai Gaoxing listens as Li Pu rattles off a list of his parrot’s care routine, leaving him more confused by the second.

The list includes, but is not limited to:

• He eats a lot of sunflower seeds every day (though he actually eats them sparingly, worried about getting too hot).

• He drinks cooled boiled water (but he’s always preferred warm water and hasn’t gotten a chance to try it).

• He enjoys chatting and needs lots of conversation (really, it’s just to cheer you up because you’re so antisocial!).

• He loves cartoons and gets excited whenever he sees them (have you seen how fast I can change channels with the remote?).

• He wants to go outside but shouldn’t be taken out casually (does this even sound reasonable?).

And so on...

By the end of it, Bai Gaoxing begins to doubt whether the parrot Li Pu is describing is even him. Does this guy have another bird somewhere? Impossible.

Mei Youshu dutifully jots all of this down in his little notebook and nods seriously. "Got it, Brother Li. Don’t worry, Dabai will definitely fatten up by the time you return."

Just as Bai Gaoxing is about to protest, Li Pu adds, "No, being too fat isn't good for his health."

"..." Thank you for that unnecessary comment.

Mei Youshu nods again, scribbling "Don’t let him get too fat" in his notebook.

During the rest of their conversation, Bai Gaoxing learns that Li Pu is about to go on a business trip. It turns out that yesterday’s outing had been related to this. He grows a little excited—if Li Pu isn’t around, won’t the house be his domain?

But then, what could he actually do?

Play with the phone—probably taking that with him. Play on the laptop—no, that’d be locked in the drawer. Go outside—he can’t open the door, and all the windows are tightly secured. He could peck through the screens, but it’s summer, and there are lots of mosquitoes, so the consequences... unless Bai Gaoxing doesn’t want to be alive by the time Li Pu gets back.

Not long after, the two finish their discussion. Li Pu sits aside and resumes reading, while Mei Youshu stands awkwardly at a distance, alternating his gaze between the sky and the ground.

Bai Gaoxing senses the occasional glance. This guy is definitely sneaking looks at him! But he doesn’t dare to make direct eye contact.

So, Bai Gaoxing walks toward him, and just as expected, Mei Youshu immediately backs away again. His retreat ends with a thud as his back slams into the wall, producing a muffled sound that makes even Bai Gaoxing wince.

"Hmm? Are you okay?"

"No... I'm fine," Mei Youshu replies with a forced smile, his sunglasses barely concealing the mix of fear and discomfort on his face. A parrot is actually showing concern for him!

Bai Gaoxing can’t help but imagine the future, picturing Mei Youshu—a nervous, bird-fearing assistant—trying to put on a brave face while secretly terrified. The image of him crying while pretending to be tough flashes through his mind, making the parrot take a deep breath in exasperation.

Li Pu notices the awkward standoff between man and bird and intervenes: "Dabai, come here."

He holds a few nuts in his hand, tossing one onto the coffee table with a crisp clatter to draw attention.

Bai Gaoxing immediately spins around and sprints over to Li Pu’s knees.

Mei Youshu just breathes a sigh of relief, only to feel his chest pocket buzz. His phone vibrates twice, signaling a message in the group chat.

He opens it. Lei Li has tagged him in the small group, asking him to send some photos of Dabai.

Instinctively, he glances over at Li Pu and, sure enough, sees his phone on the coffee table light up with the same message notification.

Swallowing nervously, Mei Youshu asks cautiously, "Brother Li, can I take a photo of Dabai?"

Li Pu, who has already seen the group message, has no objections. He gently nudges the parrot off his knees and onto the coffee table.

At that moment, Bai Gaoxing holds a nut in one claw, his powerful beak cracking open the shell with ease. However, he doesn’t expect the nut inside to be rotten! The instant he cracks it, a puff of strange dust explodes from the inside.

"A-choo!!!"

Mei Youshu looks at the photo he just takes, grimacing as he sends it to the group.

【Group Leader】 Lei Li: ...

【Group Leader】 Lei Li: @Assistant Dashu, what kind of photo is this??

Mei Youshu, after all, is just an assistant—not a professional photographer or one of those fanboys with special photography skills. Unlike other assistants who enjoy taking photos and collecting them for memories, he... is more straightforward.

Especially in the way he takes photos.

Bai Gaoxing sneezes a few more times before finally recovering. He glances up and sees Li Pu laughing. Curious about what is so funny, he hops onto Li Pu’s shoulder, peering at the phone and seeing... himself.

The image is a disaster—a blurry, pixelated mess that resembles a mosaic, with only a vague outline of one round black eye, like a meteor streaking across the sky.

"..." This is some impressive photography. Even Picasso's style isn’t this sharp.

Lei Li, who finally finds a moment to check her phone at the office, falls silent for a bit. She begins questioning her decision to send Mei Youshu over today. Maybe she should call him back.

Thankfully, Mei Youshu quickly sends a few more high-definition photos. This time, they turn out fine. After all, Bai Gaoxing is naturally photogenic and adorable from any angle.

【Group Leader】 Lei Li: ?

【Group Leader】 Lei Li: So cute!!!

The manager’s praise confirms Bai Gaoxing’s charm, especially since Lei Li has a sharp, market-oriented eye for aesthetics. Almost instantly, she becomes eager to convince Li Pu to take the parrot on the variety show she has recommended.

【Group Leader】 Lei Li: Why not let Dabai appear on that show?

【Member】 Li Pu: ...

【Member】 Li Pu: If Dabai is willing.

Li Pu’s way of declining is really subtle. Lei Li is amused—how exactly can you ask a parrot for its opinion? Clearly, the owner isn’t interested unless Dabai somehow decides to jump in front of the camera and show a passion for the spotlight.

Lei Li doesn't push further and simply long-presses to save her favorite photo.

Meanwhile, Mei Youshu pulls out his notebook and starts typing furiously on the keyboard.

The life of a working person is tough—having to work even at times like this. Bai Gaoxing sighs internally, habitually hopping onto Mei Youshu’s shoulder. The young man’s body goes rigid immediately. He slowly turns his head, and their eyes meet—the fear in his eyes is almost palpable.

Ah! Sorry, sorry.

Bai Gaoxing suddenly remembers that, unlike Li Pu, this guy isn’t used to having a parrot casually climb on him. The goosebumps and raised hairs on his arm, exposed by his rolled-up sleeves, are enough proof that Mei Youshu is fighting hard not to scream or jump away.

Feeling guilty, Bai Gaoxing moves aside to observe instead.

The screen is filled with a mess of folders and documents, each meticulously labeled. Li Pu is heading to Green City for promotional events related to his latest drama. After that, he will be involved in filming a historical drama, and later in the year, he has plans to star in a movie and make a guest appearance in another. There is also a list of variety shows, but most of them have been crossed out with red marks.

The standards seem very strict.

Bai Gaoxing speculates on how picky Li Pu is about scripts. He can’t quite picture what Li Pu would be like on a variety show. A more serious or thoughtful show might suit him, but if it were something comedic...

His feathers puff up slightly at the thought.

Mei Youshu’s "familiarization" visit lasts a total of two hours. After working diligently for an hour and a half, the young man spends the remaining half-hour playing games with Bai Gaoxing. Honestly, if Li Pu weren’t watching, Bai Gaoxing really wouldn’t want to play.

With little enthusiasm, Bai Gaoxing drops the small basketball into the hoop, earning an exaggerated cheer from Mei Youshu: "That’s amazing!"

It is more tolerable if Mei Youshu doesn’t look at him with that awkward expression, as if he can’t bear to witness it. Bai Gaoxing tries hard to convey to Li Pu that he doesn’t mind being fed by Mei Youshu—it’s just that the man is way too scared of him.

Fortunately, Li Pu notices quickly. After Bai Gaoxing takes the nuts from Mei Youshu's hand for the second time, Li Pu hands the young man a set of spare keys.

"Don't worry, Brother Li, I'll take good care of things over the next couple of days," Mei Youshu says, having some experience feeding the fish at home.

Not long after, the house returns to a "two-person" world again.

The air is so still that you can almost hear the ticking of the clock.

Bai Gaoxing feels a wave of emotion. Although he is glad that Li Pu’s leaving means he will have some freedom, he realizes there isn’t much he can actually do in his absence. If possible, he’d prefer to go along with Li Pu rather than be stuck at home for two days, watching TV... or maybe playing in the water and eating melon seeds.

Thinking this, Bai Gaoxing looks up at the man, who seems lost in thought once more, and leans closely against his knees.

If only things weren’t so boring.

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