IBFAIBPMSH Chapter 24 Part 1

Li Pu walks through the rooms with open doors, one by one.

ai Gaoxing watches the man’s swift figure, fearing that he might notice something wrong in the study—especially since, before the Live streaming, he hurriedly wipes down the dusty table and microphone. 

Fortunately, Li Pu doesn’t pay attention to those details. After confirming that everything in the room is intact, he feels relieved. He picks up a fallen decoration from a guest room table on his way out but leaves the door open. 

At this point, the house map is fully unlocked. 

Bai Gaoxing feels like he receives some sort of strange approval. 

And he isn’t wrong. Li Pu strokes his chin in thought. Ever since his childhood friend brought Dabai here, he has kept all the rooms locked. Knowing the parrot’s reputation for being a house-destroyer, he has made sure to keep every room, except the living room and kitchen, sealed tight. 

Now it seems... Dabai is safe to roam freely in the house, which means all his belongings are safe too.

When Li Pu finishes unpacking his luggage, Bai Gaoxing has already turned on the TV in the living room. 

A large white ball of feathers nests in a pile of cushions, making the sofa look even softer. Li Pu glances at the messy, paw-printed creases on the cushions and raises an eyebrow slightly.

Though Dabai doesn’t destroy the house, he’s still quite the handful. 

But maybe that is just because Dabai is lonely? Li Pu thinks about how his upcoming work schedule might leave him neglecting the bird again and decides to let it do as it pleases.

The TV shows commercials between programs. Bai Gaoxing feels the sofa beside him sink, and a gentle touch brushes his face.

Without thinking, his body reacts. He closes his eyes, tilts his head toward the touch, and grumbles that it’s in the wrong spot, "A bit further back, right there, ah right~" 

The finger pauses for a moment, then resumes scratching. 

Just then, a popular drama starts airing. The man and the bird watch TV together in perfect harmony. 

Feeling the warmth of Li Pu's hand on his head, Bai Gaoxing is surprised that Li Pu isn’t so reserved this time. He glances up at him, but when their eyes meet, he quickly looks away as if nothing happened.

Time passes, and Bai Gaoxing starts to feel drowsy. Though the TV is still on, the living room grows quieter until a phone call breaks the silence. 

Suddenly awake, Bai Gaoxing looks over at the phone on the table—it’s a video call. 

The caller ID... is unfamiliar. 

He watches as Li Pu answers the call, wondering who this "Senior Sister Hou Ying" might be. 

For her to call during Li Pu’s vacation, and on a personal line, they must be close, right?

"Hi! Good evening!" A lively, cheerful female voice comes through the phone, along with a bit of wind noise, which quickly stops. “I hope I’m not disturbing you?”

 "No." Li Pu answers, a hint of confusion in his eyes. "What's the matter?"

"Didn't we agree back in Green City? I said I’d show it to everyone who wants to see when I get back!" the other person says excitedly. 

Li Pu holds his phone in silence, as if recalling that he indeed agreed to something like that.

“Ta-da! Look!" the other person exclaims proudly, ignoring his silence. "My Yaya, isn’t she cute?" 

Yaya? A girl? Showing off his daughter? 

Bai Gaoxing’s curiosity is piqued, but Li Pu holds the phone too high for him to see. No matter how much he cranes his neck, he can't catch a glimpse, so he leaps onto Li Pu's shoulder in one swift move. 

"Ah!" A surprised scream comes from the other side. Bai Gaoxing looks up to see a woman on the screen, her lips covered by her hand, her beautiful eyes sparkling. "Is this Dabai?"

The woman has half-dried chestnut hair, a stunning face, and a captivating smile, but what stands out most is the duck she holds in her hand.

The small, palm-sized duck is still shedding its baby feathers. It kicks its legs wildly and quacks as the woman holds it

Suddenly, the duck seems to notice Bai Gaoxing and freezes. 

The two lock eyes—Bai Gaoxing and the duck, staring at each other. 

This isn’t right, Bai Gaoxing thinks. It’s strange enough that a beautiful woman is calling Li Pu in the middle of the night to show him a duck, but what’s even stranger is that she seems to know him. 

From what she said... Did she mention Green City?

Bai Gaoxing glances at Li Pu. The man stares at the phone screen, his dark eyes reflecting the bright light. 

Him? Showing off pets to people he knows? That doesn’t seem like his style at all.

Just as Bai Gaoxing tries to imagine such an unlikely scenario, the woman speaks again: "Your Dabai is so cute! No wonder you like him so much." 

She says it in a girlish tone, holding her face and smiling sweetly, exactly the way Bai Gaoxing imagines someone saying, "Mommy loves you so much!" But somehow, she pulls it off without seeming unnatural, making it feel strangely intimate. 

But… could it really be true? Did Li Pu really like him that much?

Thinking back on Li Pu’s usual behavior, Bai Gaoxing’s expression becomes hard to describe. 

The woman seems to notice his changing expression and looks at him in surprise. "Your Dabai seems to understand what I'm saying!"

She points to her own face, as if referencing the parrot’s fluffy face. “His expression totally changed! How amazing!” 

You’re amazing too, Bai Gaoxing thinks. He briefly wonders if he has been acting too human, but he can’t see any sign of it in the bird’s face on camera. 

Surely, the problem is with this person? Bai Gaoxing gives the woman a scrutinizing look through the screen.

Unexpectedly, the woman leans closer. "His expression changed again. Are you curious about who I am?"

Bai Gaoxing finds this absurd and backs off a little, but Li Pu turns his head to look at him, “Really?”

No! Bai Gaoxing bites Li Pu’s ear in protest.

 After a few more polite exchanges, they finally move on to another topic.

"Are you planning to participate in that cute pet show?" Hou Ying asks first.

"?" Li Pu glances at her. "I haven’t considered it. Did Sister Li mention it to you?" 

“...” Hou Ying carefully observes Li Pu’s expression and realizes he genuinely doesn’t understand what she is talking about. She glances down at the video on her other phone.

It is a screenshot from a Live streaming, showing Dabai’s adorable figure.

After seeing the photos on Li Pu’s phone back in Green City, she memorizes Dabai’s appearance. Upon returning, she unexpectedly sees a video of Dabai in a fan group. Although it is quickly taken down, she manages to save it.

With her years of experience as an actress, she is sure the bird perched on Li Pu’s shoulder is the same one.

But it seems he doesn’t want others to know

Hou Ying quickly arrives at this reasonable conclusion. Since she and Li Pu attend the same school and their families know each other, they are fairly familiar. She knows that Li Pu draws very clear boundaries in certain areas. 

For example, his private life… This kind of thing definitely wouldn’t be something he’d want in the public eye. Many celebrities create side accounts—though they are easily discovered, it still sends a message about their intentions.

Secretly posting about a pet on a second account? Hou Ying hadn’t expected this soft and endearing side of Li Pu. 

Ever thoughtful, Hou Ying clears her throat. "Okay. Even though Sister Li didn’t say anything, I still think you should consider it. That show is both cute and professional."

"And..." Her gaze falls on the beautiful, snow-white parrot again. "Don’t you think Dabai likes being on camera?"

Thinking back to Dabai’s relaxed and carefree demeanor in the Live streaming, it is clear he enjoys interacting with the audience. 

Li Pu hesitates for a moment. "How did you notice that?"

Now Hou Ying is the one confused. "You really can’t tell?" 

Her junior, Li Pu—who ranks first in all their professional courses—can’t spot a pet’s talent for performing? Especially when it is a Live streaming that he personally sets up? 

Li Pu thinks for a moment. Maybe Hou Ying is referring to the camera during their video calls. That could make sense—last time, during the call with Peter, Dabai hadn’t shown any discomfort, even observing himself in the camera.

So, he nods. "Yeah, I can kind of see it." 

Hou Ying breathes a sigh of relief. She knows it.

"Don’t worry, I’ll keep it a secret for you."

Li Pu raises his eyes slightly, though he isn’t sure why owning a parrot needs to be kept secret… "Thanks?"

After that, they talk about work for a while. Seeing it is getting late, Hou Ying says goodbye to Li Pu and Dabai, then hangs up the call. 

The sound from the TV resumes, and the living room returns to its lively yet quiet state. 

Bai Gaoxing starts to understand why Hou Ying can read his expressions. If she is in the same profession as Li Pu, then her abilities and talents are obvious; plus, he should have realized it earlier—someone with such screen presence and a face like that can’t be an ordinary person.

But something else Hou Ying mentions catches his attention. 

For example... Did she say something about a cute pet show?

Bai Gaoxing looks out the balcony window, as he often does. The large, magnificent neon lights always stir his desire to go outside. Every boring night, he silently wishes that one day, Li Pu will take him out.

Not just to the small park downstairs, but beyond the gates of the community—to go shopping.

But Li Pu’s identity limits his freedom to roam like ordinary people, so Bai Gaoxing can only pin his hopes on Li Pu’s work. 

For instance, a film crew, a set, or a studio—those professional circles always feel so grand and exciting! 

He even considers suggesting that Li Pu take on a wild survival script next time, preferably one set in the rainforest. Maybe he could tag along! A zoo or a pet shop would do as well...

While imagining wildly, Bai Gaoxing feels Li Pu petting his head again. He rubs against him to relieve the itch and then sneaks a glance at Li Pu’s phone. 

Since the livestream ended, only Hou Ying has called Li Pu. In other words, none of his fears about being exposed have come true! If he had been exposed, given how popular Li Pu is, the agent or assistant would have surely called by now, right?

Bai Gaoxing happily sways his head, already deciding that next time he logs into his account, he’ll fix any potential risks in his profile. 

For example, the phrase "The Movie Emperor's Home."

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