IBFAIBPMSH Chapter 36

Although Li Pu agrees with the assistant's words, he still opens the box. 

Bai Gaoxing has already crawled out of the bird bag and stands quietly beside him. 

One of the boxes contains a palm-sized screen and an oval mini video recorder, while the other box holds a large stand.

Combining what Mei Youshu says on the phone, Li Pu roughly guesses the purpose of these items.

But—why are they suddenly going on a show? When does this happen? What occurs without his knowledge? 

And shooting material... would Li Pu really cooperate?

Bai Gaoxing, confused, glances at the man next to him.

Sure enough, Li Pu opens it, takes a look, confirms what it is, then puts it back intact on the TV cabinet before walking to the bedroom. 

Bai Gaoxing looks up at the time. It is indeed time for a nap.

But... does he really want to skip lunch today? Isn’t that bad?

Bai Gaoxing watches Li Pu's figure gradually move away, flapping his wings as he takes off and chases after him, saying, "Let’s eat, let’s eat," like a persistent feeding machine. 

Unexpectedly, the man suddenly stops, and Bai Gaoxing can’t brake in time, crashing into Li Pu's back and falling to the ground with a thud. 

After a brief moment of dizziness, Bai Gaoxing lies on his back in a daze. Once he comes to his senses, he flaps his wings and kicks his legs, but struggles for a while without much success. 

Until Li Pu reaches down and turns him over.

"Thank you, thank you..." Bai Gaoxing mutters groggily.

Li Pu: "..."

Li Pu recalls the feeling of the parrot hitting him just now, akin to what Dr. Xiao An says... a bit on the chubby side. 

His back aches slightly. 

Li Pu purses his lips, measures the width of the parrot's back with his hands, pinches the sturdy flesh, and makes a final decision. 

"Eat less in the future."

...

Having his rations inexplicably cut, Bai Gaoxing can only save on food.

Looking at the single layer of grains in today’s food box, even the seeds have been picked out. Bai Gaoxing sighs, relieved that he isn’t too hungry right now. He flies out of the cage and nestles on the sofa as usual. 

So... has he discovered anything at all? 

Bai Gaoxing is unsure. After finding out that Xinghuo and Firefly are practically the same platform, he is momentarily stunned. He initially thinks that once Li Pu gets home, he will pull out his phone to look for evidence. Instead, it takes an unexpected turn, leading to a visit to the doctor, wasting half the day, during which he receives no information at all.

Now, Li Pu rests in the bedroom, but Bai Gaoxing dares not turn on the TV at all. 

After the last incident with smuggling phones, he no longer believes Li Pu is "asleep," and he doesn’t want to risk finding out if there are further interviews about Xinghuo on the news. 

Bai Gaoxing is completely at a loss. 

He thinks he might not step into the study room again for a long time. 

Now his only wish is that the matter of Li Pu's live broadcast fades from public attention as time goes by...

“What's the situation now?”

In the Star Entertainment office, Lei Li stretches her body, her face radiant again after catching up on sleep and some touch-ups. 

“Two of the four entries have been taken down; two have gone up regarding Brother Li’s new drama, and another one is about the guest predictions for the next season of Cute Pet Diary,” Lin Shi reports while holding a tablet. 

“Okay.” Lei Li nods, yawning again. “You should go back and rest; I’ll keep an eye on things here.”

After the situation calms down, most people take a short break in the afternoon, including Mei Youshu, leaving not many on the entire twelfth floor.

But Lin Shi shakes her head. "It's okay, Sister Li. I'm not sleepy yet." 

 To facilitate her overtime work last night, the young assistant ties her long hair into a high ponytail, making her look particularly energetic.

ei Li examines her closely, confirming that she isn’t forcing herself, and feels surprised yet appreciative. “Young people have such good energy.” 

Lei Li observes her carefully to ensure she isn’t pushing herself too hard. She’s surprised and praises, "Young people have great energy." She then adds, "Alright, take advantage of these few days to learn more about what to do. When you officially join the crew in a few days, you can also go and learn with Xiao Mei." Lei Li gestures for Lin Shi to bring over the tablet. "Anyway, I have nothing to do this afternoon, so let me tell you about Li Pu's schedule for the second half of the year..."

At this moment, Li Pu's fans, still buzzing with excitement, turn their attention to the new entry: #Prediction of Guests for the New Season of Cute Pet Diary#

Cute Pet Diary emerges as a dark horse among a plethora of variety shows over the past two years. In a landscape flooded with love, competition, and pastoral-themed shows, the term "cute pet" instantly attracts attention. The idea of cuteness evokes feelings of comfort and happiness, while pets signify companionship and love. The combination of the two reminds viewers of the pets they interact with daily, softening their hearts.

Most importantly, there are currently no variety shows in China with similar themes. While there have been previous attempts, "pets" inherently embody uncertainty. They are not humans and cannot fully obey instructions or cooperate with a script, leading to various unpredictable incidents during filming. Consequently, the costs of manpower and time increase, and without a proven template for profitability, few are willing to take the risk.

It wasn't until two years ago that someone redirected their focus to this market.

With the rise of self-media, countless streamers and authors showcase their pets on live broadcast platforms. Many pets with natural skills or talents garner significant attention and affection. 

Cute Pet Diary capitalizes on this traffic. 

Thus, Cute Pet Diary recruits guests from all walks of life, not limited to the entertainment industry.

Of course, since Cute Pet Diary became a hit, many celebrities take notice and start to raise pets; meanwhile, to generate topics, Cute Pet Diary doesn’t only choose pure amateur guests. 

These two factors overlap, usually comprising celebrities, internet celebrities, and ordinary people, with each responsible for different angles: silly antics, cuteness, and showcasing skills.

The current hot topic revolves around internet celebrity pets, amateur pets with certain skills, and... celebrity pets.

Before the Dabai live broadcast, fans of the show always believe that Hou Ying will appear in the next season—after all, she posts about her new Coral duck on Weibo. 

And now...

【Oh my god, does this mean Li Pu might be on the show!?】

【I don't know, I don't know, I don't know! Please don’t let me down!】

【The avatar has changed; is this not an official announcement? (Dog head emoji)】

【Where is the official account of Cute Pet Diary? Come out and say something!】

【I'll bet Li Pu will appear on the show next season. If he doesn't, I'll stand upside down and eat my keyboard! If I lose the bet, I won’t say anything.】

【This is hilarious. You really think Li Pu will be on the variety show?】

【Who said that greater hope leads to greater disappointment? I haven’t mentioned it for a while... I won't bring it up again. It's better to stay zen.】

Fans have varying opinions. In addition to flooding the screen under the new entry, the official Weibo account of Cute Pet Diary is even more lively, with demands for clarification or confirmation. 

The person in charge of the official account for Cute Pet Diary has never seen such a scene before. Wiping his sweat, he conveys this immense pressure to the higher-ups.

The higher-ups look at Li Pu's application form in silence, recalling Lei Li's request not to announce it too early. After a long pause, they post a vague Weibo update:

—We will definitely strive for it!

Even such an ambiguous statement earns praise from Li Pu's fans.

“Don’t do this; it’s putting a lot of pressure on us.”

They can only repeatedly remind Lei Li to make sure to capture all the material. This way, even if the pet ends up doing nothing on the show and just acts silly, they can rely on the footage to hold it together.

...

When Mei Youshu arrives, Bai Gaoxing chews on broccoli.

He thinks Li Pu gave him so little rice yesterday to help with digestion, but early this morning, Li Pu adds only a small spoonful of rice and throws him a piece of broccoli. 

The green broccoli tastes strange. Li Pu even blanches it in water before feeding him, making it softer but even more tasteless. It’s hard to swallow.

Bai Gaoxing’s mouth fills with green foam as he eats like a parrot, consuming half and spitting out the other half, occasionally taking a piece of paper to wipe his beak. 

At this moment, while chewing, he stares at Mei Youshu, who comes early. 

Mei Youshu is dressed like a professional air conditioner repairman this time, but his sunglasses make him look like a burglar.

"Brother Li," he greets, glancing left and right before noticing the box on the TV cabinet.

Li Pu sits on the sofa reading a script and responds without looking up, allowing his assistant to get to work.

The dynamic seems very familiar… Bai Gaoxing sets aside the broccoli and focuses intently on Mei Youshu. 

Now, it depends on whether this person likes to chat.

“Dabai, I’m telling you, keep your distance from me.” Mei Youshu opens the box and notices the parrot staring at him from a distance, causing him to tremble and rip a hole in the cardboard.

Bai Gaoxing replies, “Don’t talk.”

Mei Youshu surrenders, “Alright, alright, I won’t talk. Just move away a bit…”

Even so, he won’t leave. Bai Gaoxing takes a few steps closer, earnestly staring at Mei Youshu's mouth.

Mei Youshu is extremely focused as he works. The assembly of the new equipment is a bit complicated, and he doesn’t let himself get distracted. He completes it in one go.

"Okay," he exhales, adjusts the knob on the lifting rod, and looks at Li Pu. "Brother Li, where should I install this for you?"

Li Pu looks away and replies, "You decide." 

Mei Youshu feels helpless. "You can't always make me decide." He glances around and finally chooses a spot near the balcony. "This is good; it’s bright, and you can operate it while sitting."

Li Pu nods. "Yeah." 

Bai Gaoxing flutters over, landing on the back of the sofa to watch the device. He sees Mei Youshu turn it on, revealing a screen identical to the computer in the study. 

His heart skips a beat. 

What? I’m not ready yet!

However, Mei Youshu doesn’t continue operating it. Instead, he picks up two oval video recorders, placing one on a high shelf and the other on the coffee table. 

"This is a transmission device, used for operation, just like a computer. It mainly functions as a video recorder and is very simple to use. There’s a button you press to record," he begins explaining. "There’s a light on the back: if it’s on, it’s recording; if it’s off, it’s off. If it’s flashing, it’s running low on power. This miniature video recorder works as long as there’s a signal. It can connect to traffic and upload directly. Plus, it’s small, so you can adjust the angle and position at any time. It's very convenient to carry." Mei Youshu demonstrates for a moment before closing it again. "Once the material is recorded, special people will handle the editing. Brother Li, you just need to turn it on for a bit each day while Dabai is here."

Bai Gaoxing listens carefully, and Li Pu absorbs almost everything.

"Okay," Li Pu nods. "I understand."

This time, Mei Youshu genuinely feels that he has gotten through to him. After all, Li Pu even turns on the live broadcast, making it clear that this isn’t just lip service. He looks at Li Pu with relief, shedding a few bittersweet tears for himself. Finally, his efforts are not in vain.

Once everything is done, Mei Youshu hurriedly finishes his work and quickly leaves Li Pu’s house. As soon as Li Pu’s attention wanders, Bai Gaoxing takes the opportunity to sneak over and observe the equipment.

Just as Mei Youshu said, this wireless video recorder is lightweight and easy to carry. It seems even he can manage it...

A bold idea forms in his mind. 

No, no, no, disappear!

Bai Gaoxing shakes his head, abandoning the audacious thought. 

Since he decides to keep quiet for a while, he must avoid drawing attention at this time.

Bai Gaoxing lies there obediently for two hours, munching on broccoli and gazing at the scenery. During this time, Li Pu is preoccupied with his own tasks, seeming uninterested in what is happening over here.

Having waited too long, Bai Gaoxing becomes very sleepy and dozes off without realizing it. When he wakes up, he sees Li Pu staring at him with a complicated expression. 

"Ah... good afternoon?" he greets.

Li Pu doesn’t respond but reaches out to pick at the feathers on Bai Gaoxing's chest. 

Bai Gaoxing looked down and noticed a patch of green! 

His once snow-white fur now has a streak of green.

So he takes another shower that night. After taking a shower, Bai Gaoxing gets blown dry and nestles on the pillow, trying to act cute and sleep on the bed. 

It doesn't work.

Annoyed, Bai Gaoxing flies out and retreats into his cage. No matter how much Li Pu calls him, he refuses to come out.

"Are you angry?" Li Pu asks, poking the cage and slipping a fingertip through the mesh.

"No, no!" Bai Gaoxing quickly retreats, crawling into the small cotton nest at the top, poking his head out to look at him.

"Then I'll go," Li Pu says, slowly taking a few steps back and pretending to walk toward the bedroom, though he keeps glancing back at the parrot in the cage. 

According to their usual routine, Dabai sleeps with him in the bedroom.

Li Pu isn’t sure if Bai Gaoxing prefers being with people or if the bedroom is simply warmer, but ever since the shelf is installed on the balcony, he rarely sleeps in the cage at night.

Li Pu walks all the way to the bedroom door, but he notices that the parrot doesn’t fly out and perch on his shoulder today. Instead, it huddles motionless in its nest.

Unexpectedly, it still holds a grudge.

Li Pu can’t help but chuckle, knocking on the bedroom door to make a sound. “Should I close the door?” 

After a moment of silence, a rustling sound comes from the cage, followed by a muttered response: "I don't want to play with you."

Li Pu laughs softly, his low voice echoing in the living room. "Okay, then you can sleep alone tonight."

With a click, the door closes, separating the living room and bedroom into two distinct worlds.

At three in the morning, the once quiet cage suddenly lights up with two bright eyes, drawing attention like stars in the dark night. 

“Flap, flap…”

A distinctly white figure glides down quietly at night, softly landing on the sofa.

The large white shadow moves stealthily, creeping and crawling from the sofa upwards.

“Phew~”

With a soft sigh, the white bird finally reaches the high shelf.

The equipment has been in standby mode since daytime, and at that moment, it lights up suddenly when touched by the bird's claws, emitting a slightly glaring brightness. 

The bird shadow on the screen moves, adjusting to a suitable position, with its round eyes reflecting the colorful icons on the display.

It is worth waiting until midnight… Time to check what is happening online.

Author's Note:

Li Pu: Looking at the empty shelves: I feel a little uncomfortable.

---

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