IBFAIBPMSH Chapter 24 Part 2

By the next morning, the trending topic had already disappeared. 

This is no surprise—Li Pu has been in the industry for years, and ever since Live streamings became popular, he has made only a handful of public appearances on any live stream platform. At first, there are constant rumors of when and where Li Pu will start streaming, and fans rush to wait eagerly. But each time, they are left hanging.

It isn’t so much that the streams are "delayed"; more accurately, they are just "non-existent." 

After enduring countless false alarms, Li Pu's fans learn their lesson: 

Li Pu will never live stream! Not in this lifetime! 

So whenever new rumors of a Live streaming surface, Li Pu’s real fans just laugh it off, exchange knowing glances, and even poke fun at those who spend all night waiting.

This time is no different. 

After spotting the entry, the long-since-disillusioned fans don’t even bother to investigate or verify the rumor. Instead, they pass the word along and keep reminding each other: 

 “Friends! Don’t give fake news any attention!”

Thus, the hashtag #IsThisParrotLiPu's? appeared and disappeared multiple times, only to be overshadowed by newer and fresher news.

Mei Youshu rubs his eyes as he wakes up. The first thing he does is check the trending topics on his phone. 

Sure enough, just as Sister Li predicted, the buzz has died down.

He breathes a sigh of relief. Worried that the situation might escalate overnight, he stays up monitoring it—though he eventually falls asleep. Thankfully, it has a happy ending.

His phone still has a late-night message from Lei Li, urging him to go home. Should he have expected any less from Sister Li? She anticipates the whole thing perfectly.

Mei Youshu stretches lazily. After spending all night at his desk, his back and waist ache, but mentally, he feels refreshed.

Work!

He sits in front of the computer and begins preparing various materials and itinerary plans. 

If he remembers correctly, in less than two weeks, Brother Li will officially join the new film crew...

Unlike the terrified assistant, the person and the bird in question are on vacation at home, completely unaware. 

Oblivious to the minor fluctuations that occurred last night, Bai Gaoxing still contemplates when to do another Live streaming—chatting with people has really brightened this "bird's" mood, and he almost forgets what it feels like to be surrounded by people.

So… when is this guy going out again? 

Li Pu, unaware that he is disliked by his pet, feels an inexplicable gaze. Looking over, he sees his snow-white parrot squatting on top of its cage, puffed up into a ball. Its chest is round and full from eating, and it tilts its head to look at him, idly grooming itself with one claw.

The parrot combs its feathers very slowly, occasionally losing grip on a feather tip, clearly doing it absentmindedly. 

It seems like, since last night, Bai Gaoxing has been in a gloomy mood. 

Unaware that Bai Gaoxing’s mind is already wandering toward the study, Li Pu assumes his absence has once again triggered the bird’s old fear of being abandoned by its owner. Without even bothering to feed the fish, he picks up the feed bucket and approaches the cage, gently teasing the bird.

"What..." Bai Gaoxing mutters, narrowing his eyes as he grasps Li Pu’s offending finger with his claws. 

Thanks to the strong learning ability of the wutong parrot, he now has no trouble engaging in simple conversations with Li Pu—but that is the extent of it. In the example set by another friend, the wutong parrot can speak independently for long periods and hold a simple conversation with its owner.

Key point: after training. 

Without the ability to think independently, they respond in a formulaic manner.

For example, he conditionally replies with, "What’s for breakfast this morning?" after being greeted with "Good morning."

The problem is that Li Pu doesn't train him at all!

Let me tell you, this kind of hands-off education will spoil the child! 

Bai Gaoxing glares at Li Pu, but the man gently holds his claw and softly strokes it.

Bai Gaoxing shudders and immediately retracts his claw.

Li Pu can’t help but smile slightly. 

However, he still responds to the parrot's words, saying, "Did you take those photos on the phone?"

Bai Gaoxing's heart skips a beat. 

Li Pu doesn't actually expect the parrot to understand him. He strokes the fluffy bird more as if talking to himself, not noticing how the parrot’s pupils shrink for a brief moment. 

He continues, "The photos are pretty good."

Yesterday, Hou Ying's words remind him of the "surprise" he experiences when he opens the phone in Green City. Maybe Dabai accidentally steps on the phone, but the face in the photo is at a perfect angle, which really looks like it has been taken on purpose. 

Or did Dabai's previous owner teach it how to use a phone?

Li Pu casually thinks to himself that he doesn't feel that pang of jealousy, wondering whether his pet has experienced more with its previous owner. Since Bai Gaoxing is now in his care, and he has no plans to give him away, he will definitely take care of him longer than the previous owner did... as long as nothing unexpected happens.

Li Pu calculates his schedule for the year and already has a plan in mind to find someone to continue feeding Dabai.

While he is thinking, he moves toward the sofa, and Bai Gaoxing gives him an exasperated look that seems to say, "I knew it," and presses against him before he can sit down completely.

Of course, this is just Bai Gaoxing's self-righteous attempt to “press.” To be precise, he jumps directly into Li Pu's arms and tightly hooks his claws onto his collar. 

Now, Li Pu can't think about anything else.

After a moment, he takes out his phone and says as if negotiating, "Bai Gaoxing, come down. I'll take your picture." 

Li Pu realizes that his pet likely wants to play with him. The “breeding manual” mentions that the wutong parrot is very clingy, especially to the owner it has bonded with. Combined with what the flower and bird market owner says, he feels that Dabai is indeed like this.

Thinking of this, he realizes he has never really played with Dabai properly. 

Bai Gaoxing looks at the camera on Li Pu's phone, loosens his claws, and flutters onto the coffee table. 

What is this? A trick?

Bai Gaoxing eyes the man warily, but after hearing the “click” sound, he still poses properly.

It is a conditioned reflex—he has taken so many award-winning photos that his friends often joke that his pictures are “too well-behaved” and “too upright.”

Bai Gaoxing climbs onto Li Pu's shoulder to see the finished product. The big white parrot in the camera looks undeniably cute, but it is a pity that it isn’t his face when he was human.

 It seems he can no longer be human.

Noticing his pet's dejected posture, Li Pu begins to doubt his photography skills. "… Should we take another one?"

"Ding-dong!"

"Ding-dong!" Not long after, the photo session between man and bird is interrupted by the sudden ringing of the doorbell. Li Pu is startled, but Bai Gaoxing reacts faster than him. He flies directly from the coffee table to the door, stepping on the cat-eye screen button in front of the door.

“Dali, open the door!” The person outside the door looks at the cat-eye, leans in, and blinks. The brilliant golden light dazzles Bai Gaoxing's eyes.

Li Pu opens the door, and Peter Wang immediately walks in, looking around. “Where is Dabai?”

“Behind you.”

“Behind?”

“Behind?” Bai Gaoxing watches as Peter Wang searches for a while before finally focusing his gaze on him.

“Hey, Dabai, do you still recognize me?” The blond man slowly approaches, tentatively extending his hand as if he wants to touch his head.

Bai Gaoxing naturally allows the petting and even actively rubs his head against Peter's hand.

"Hello~"

“Ohhh! It still remembers me!” Peter Wang exclaims, clearly taken aback, his deep brown eyes sparkling with surprise beneath his golden eyelashes.

Bai Gaoxing nods silently. In the memory of this parrot, he has a prominent impression of the mixed-race man in front of him, likely because he has rescued him from the shelter, which gives him a favorable impression.

Peter Wang scratches his face awkwardly, standing off to the side, clearly unsure how to approach. He then turns to chat with Li Pu. “What are you doing at home?”

“Nothing.” Li Pu stands with his arms crossed, a mobiLi Pune in hand. “Why are you here?”

“Can’t I come to visit if there’s nothing going on? Didn’t we climb trees to catch birds and go to rivers to fish together when we were kids?” Peter Wang teases with a smile, glancing at the camera interface on the phone. “Are you taking pictures of Dabai?” His professional instincts kick in as he reaches for the phone. “Let me see.”

Li Pu hands the phone over and listens to Peter Wang’s feedback.

“This is blurry…”

“This exposure is off…”

“This ratio is all wrong…”

Peter Wang critiques the parrot photos in the album, and when he looks up, he sees Li Pu and Dabai staring at him simultaneously, both wearing similar expressions.

He bursts out laughing. “What did I say last time? Pets look like their owners. You two really do resemble each other more and more.”

Li Pu looks down, while Bai Gaoxing gazes up. They exchange glances.

Do they really look alike?

Li Pu studies Peter Wang silently, finally feeling a chill from the man’s gaze. He decides to get to the point. “Want to go out for a drink?”

“Okay,” Li Pu replies.

Go out? Go out!?

Bai Gaoxing can't contain himself and jumps up, hooking his claws onto Li Pu's collar. “I’m going too!”

His big wings brush against Li Pu’s face, and Li Pu quickly spreads his palm to wrap around the parrot in front of him. However, he can’t control the powerful little bundle, and feathers begin to flutter down, sticking to his shirt.

Peter Wang raises an eyebrow, watching the scene unfold with amusement. “It’s too clingy to you. You don’t have any talent for training birds, do you? It’s only been a few days!”

While trying to pull Bai Gaoxing down, Li Pu recalls the words of the flower and bird market owner: “This type of parrot seems to become very clingy once it gets familiar with someone.”

“I think it’s just clingy to its owner,” Peter Wang says, extending his hand and calling out, “Dabai! Come here.”

Bai Gaoxing glances at the source of the sound but stubbornly holds his ground.

“See?” Peter Wang spreads his hands.

In the end, Bai Gaoxing is still pulled down. Two claws can’t fight against four hands, especially with the additional intimidation of the cage.

Bai Gaoxing shoots Peter Wang a resentful look. He had thought the man seemed nice, but it turns out he is in cahoots with Li Pu.

Peter Wang chuckles helplessly. “It seems like your Dabai is holding a grudge against me…” He leans closer, speaking in a soothing tone, “I’m going to a place only adults can go with your owner. You’re still a little one, so you have to stay home obediently, okay?”

When Li Pu hears this, he suddenly remembers, “How old is Dabai?”

Peter Wang looks at him. “Didn’t you check the certificate? It has the birthday on it.”

Li Pu replies, “...No.” He had just put those documents in a drawer when he got them, thinking they were useless.

“Strictly speaking, he’s almost an adult,” Peter Wang recalls. “Wutong parrots are considered adults at three years old. But Dabai is smaller than usual, so he might not have eaten well when he was younger.” He adds, “If you want more birds, I can help you contact a pet store and set you up with a nest.”

Li Pu seems to contemplate this suggestion, genuinely considering its feasibility.

Bai Gaoxing is terrified and shakes his head vigorously. 

Not to mention that, as a human, it would be impossible for him to live with a mother parrot; just the thought of a bunch of noisy chicks chirping around him is enough to drive anyone mad.

“Let’s talk about it later,” Li Pu says, and Bai Gaoxing sighs in relief.

“Then let’s go! We’ll miss out if we’re late,” Peter Wang urges.

But Li Pu notices that his phone is about to run out of battery, so he asks to charge it before leaving.

“What phone? I’ll treat you,” Peter Wang says as he pulls Li Pu away. “And come on, do you even check your phone? You think I don’t know you?”

“Bang!” The door slams shut, leaving only a loud echo behind.

Five minutes later…

Bai Gaoxing takes the charging cable and plugs it into the phone’s charging port.

Going out to play without him?

How frustrating.

It is getting hot; it is time to play on the live-streaming platform.

Post some works.

Post short videos.

One isn’t enough; he wants to post three!

The author has something to say:

Bai Gaoxing: The phone has fallen into my hands again!

Previous Chapter

Next Chapter

Table of Contents