Living with the Top-Notch Idol

When she saw her rank in the performance standings, once again securing the center position, she felt her scalp tingle. She wanted to tell her mother that she didn't have those worldly desires. She just wanted to get off work...

1

The first day of living together.

Melanie scoffed at her parents' feudal practice of arranging marriages. Even after they canceled her credit card and threw her and her luggage into this luxury apartment, she would never align herself with Cayden.

She was determined to fight back!

Talk? No way! She absolutely wasn't going to speak to him.

2 The second day of living together.

Her fiancé turned out to be a major celebrity. Melanie was confused.

While scrolling through the internet, she discovered that he was trending on Twitter almost every day.

She had the urge to ask him about some juicy gossip, like whether that story about the domineering CEO and the secret love child was true, or what real behind-the-scenes secrets outsiders didn't know about the entertainment industry...

But her fiancé was so busy with his schedule that Melanie only ever saw his departing figure during her morning routine.

During her days of living with Cayden, she just watched dramas, ate instant noodles, and read gossip online. It was quite a comfortable life.

They each slept in their own rooms, never bothering each other.

Perfect.

3 The third day of living together.

Melanie hadn't followed the entertainment news for a day, but then saw a familiar face trending on Twitter.

"Superstar's Relationship Exposed!" She clicked on the link.

A watermarked paparazzi photo showed a man and a woman standing at the entrance of a hotel. The girl wore a flowing white dress with long hair, while the guy wore a black coat and black mask.

They looked quite the scandalous pair.

Goodness! Melanie discovered that she had a connection to the protagonist of the scandal. She was stunned.

Who else could that man be but Cayden?

Even though he was fully disguised, she recognized those shoes. They were the couple's sneakers her mom had sent just two days ago.

She felt a bit down.

But then, a moment later, she felt a sense of relief.

It looked like her battle against this arranged marriage was about to end.

Excited, she ordered herself a cake to celebrate.

4

After finishing her cake, Melanie had a realization and decided to make peace with Cayden. Since he had a girlfriend, they were on the same team now.

The enemy of her enemy was her friend! She sat on the sofa, waiting for him to return, ready to discuss how to cancel the engagement.

Cayden got home close to midnight.

As soon as he walked in, he saw her sprawled out asleep on the couch, with cake crumbs scattered on the coffee table.

He was about to turn and head to his room when his OCD kicked in.

After hesitating for a few seconds, he went over, cleaned up the crumbs, threw them in the trash, and then, after some internal struggle, he fetched Melanie a blanket before returning to his room.

He was exhausted. Between magazine shoots, interviews, and a TV series launch, his assistant had squeezed 48 hours' worth of work into a single day.

As for this fiancée who had suddenly barged into his life, he had no time to care. A forced marriage didn't interest him at all.

He lay on the sofa in his room for a while and then went to the bathroom after waking up.

5

Halfway through his shower, Cayden heard faint noises outside the bathroom door. He thought it was probably her waking up and didn't pay much attention.

The next second, though, he had no choice but to pay attention.

Melanie had barged into his bathroom.

She was half-asleep, her hair a mess, her pajamas hanging loosely on her body like a lazy, drunken cat. She leaned against the sink, brushing her teeth and washing her face.

And there Cayden stood, completely naked under the shower, his face dark as he watched her complete her whole routine.

Shameless! He was about to shout at her when she, oblivious, casually wiped her mouth with a towel and walked out.

His face darkened further. She had used his toothbrush, his towel, and finally walked out towards his bed.

He snapped awake, furious.

6

Melanie woke up unusually early that day. Maybe she had thrown off her sleep schedule from binge-watching dramas.

When she woke up, she just felt the bed was too comfortable, but then, staring at the ceiling, she realized something was off.

Where was she?

She bolted upright, looking at the black-themed room, her mind racing with questions.

Her room was all pink and bubbly. Had she traveled to another world?

Slipping on her slippers, she tumbled out of the room and froze. She hadn't traveled. This was Cayden's room! Didn't he come back last night?

Thank goodness, she patted her chest.

Otherwise, she'd have died of embarrassment! She was about to sneak back to her own room when she noticed something by the door.

She saw shoes. How come Cayden's shoes were there?

A chill ran down her spine.

Sure enough, a second later, her eyes landed on the living room sofa, where Cayden lay, and her heart skipped a beat.

7

Stay calm. Sleeping in the wrong room wasn't illegal, and Melanie had only napped for a bit. She rushed back to her room to wash up, then came out wearing a face mask. Cayden was still lying on the sofa.

Melanie glanced at the clock. It was already 9:30 a.m.

Didn't Cayden usually leave at 7:30 a.m.?

Curiosity drove her closer, but fear made her stretch out her hand to check under his nose... He was breathing! He was still alive!

Melanie breathed a sigh of relief, but the next second, she froze.

His face was unnaturally red, and his breath was burning hot.

Cayden had a fever.

Well... Was this because she slept in his room and he was forced to sleep in the living room with nothing covered in this early spring? No, no, definitely not related.

Melanie thought for a moment. Out of humanitarian concern, she decided she should at least save his life.

She went to the bathroom, grabbed a towel, and started cooling him down.

"Hey, wake up," Melanie tried to shake him awake, to see if he wanted to go to bed or to the hospital.

"Ugh..." Cayden groaned in discomfort, his handsome face scrunched up in pain.

"You can't stay like this. Your clothes are soaked. Go change into something dry."

She glanced at his light-colored T-shirt, drenched in sweat.

She swore she just wanted to help him change, not take advantage of his abs.

"Don't touch me..." His raspy voice stopped her, and she immediately froze.

"I wasn't..." Melanie found it funny. Who wanted to touch him? He made her sound like a pervert.

But then why did her voice sound so guilty, like she was hiding something?

"Forget it, I'll call my mom," she threw out as she went to the window to make the call.

"Mom, tell Cayden's mom to come pick him up. He's got a serious fever. "

"What do you mean 'it's none of your business?'" "I'm not a doctor. How can I take care of him?"

"Hello..." Her mother hung up... Then, Melanie went furious.

8

Melanie sat cross-legged, arms folded, staring at Cayden. This was the first time she really looked at Cayden.

Before, she had only seen Cayden on Twitter.

People constantly posted about him: "Cayden's new hairstyle is so hot!" "Cayden's hands are so delicate!" "Cayden's acting is amazing!" "Cayden's dark circles are the definition of 'sexy abstinence!"...

Every little thing he did made the trending list. Melanie had always thought his agency must have a ton of money to buy all that attention.

Now that she looked at him up close, maybe the reason was that the boy in front of her was... insanely good-looking.

How could he look even better than in the photos?

At this moment, his phone rang again.

Earlier, his phone had been blowing up, so she'd silenced it out of annoyance.

But she checked this call and handed his phone to Cayden.

It was his mom.

"It's your mom. Just talk directly," Melanie said, squatting beside him and putting the phone on speaker near his ear.

"Hey, son, are you sick? Is it serious?"

"No, I'm fine," Cayden weakly opened his eyes for a second, then closed them again.

"As long as you're fine. Use a cold towel to cool down. I'll have a doctor come check on you later."

"Okay."

That was it?

His mother didn't even say when she'd come, and here he was seriously ill, saying it was nothing? Melanie wanted to slap some sense into him!

"Is Melanie there?

I have something to say to her."

Wait, what? Why was she suddenly involved? She wasn't ready for this.

"Auntie, I'm here." She answered reluctantly.

"Melanie, I know you young people have lots of energy, but you still need to take it easy. Cayden's been so tired lately. You two should tone it down a bit and not overdo it, or you'll wear yourselves out and get sick."

It was on speakerphone! Both of them blushed furiously at his mom's words.

Thanks to his mom, things between Melanie and Cayden suddenly became awkward.

9

Waiting for the doctor felt endless. Melanie kept cooling him down with a towel, laughing sarcastically. "Your mom told me to 'tone it down.'"

Cayden's dark lashes fluttered. His tired black eyes looked at her, his lips were still redder from the fever and curved slightly. His forehead glistened with sweat.

In his deep, magnetic voice, he asked, "Did you?"

Thinking about how she had barged in so nonchalantly while he was showering last night, he couldn't help but frown.

"What did I do? Was I being inappropriate?"

Melanie laughed in exasperation.

She hadn't even touched him, and yet here he was accusing her of not knowing her limits?

How unfair was that?

"Think about it," he replied, frowning, eyes closed, not wanting to look at her.

"Think about what? If I had touched you, that'd be one thing, but I haven't even done that, and you're already accusing me. Don't you think I'm being wronged here?"

Melanie was starting to lose her temper.

Hearing her complaints, Cayden reluctantly opened his eyes, glanced at her, and then closed them again.

"It doesn't matter. I'm too weak right now... and not interested in you anyway."

10

Leave! Melanie thought. What kind of person was this? Cayden was so arrogant, self-absorbed, and delusional. Why was she even helping him cool down?

She threw the towel in his face and started wiping his sweat more roughly, as if she were mopping the floor.

"Ouch... that hurts!" Her movements were too harsh, and he groaned in pain.

"Now it hurts, huh?" Melanie snapped at him.

Why had Cayden been so inconsiderate when he provoked her earlier? Instead of being grateful for her taking care of him, how dare Cayden give her attitude?

The more she thought about it, the angrier she got. She pressed the ice-cold towel against his abdomen.

"Cold!" he gasped.

What was this woman trying to do to him?

If he wasn't so weak from the fever, there was no way he'd let her get away with this.

"Deal with it,"

Melanie said, purposefully wiping the towel across his stomach, chest, and waist under the guise of "cooling him down," but really out of pure revenge.

Except, the fever didn't seem to be going down, and his body just kept getting hotter.

"Stop moving," Cayden groaned softly, grabbing her hand to stop her. After taking a deep breath and regaining some strength, he opened his eyes slowly and stared at her.

Melanie began to feel uneasy under his gaze, and suddenly, she realized something. He was... In that instant, they both felt incredibly awkward.

Cayden struggled to stand, looking down at her as if she were a tiny chick.

He tugged at his clothes, glanced down again, and sighed helplessly, his voice hoarse. "I told you not to touch me."

With that, he walked back to his room, trying to keep calm.

11

Cayden had left, probably to get an IV at the hospital. Just a simple cold, and yet he was acting like such a pampered princess.

Before leaving, he shot her a strange look and then harshly threw the things in his hands into the trash.

Melanie thought his look... It seemed like he wanted to throw her into the trash too.

What a problem! As she munched on her chips, she glanced at the trash bin. She saw new toothpaste, toothbrush, and towel in the trash bin. Why did Cayden throw them away?

Such waste! Well, it was good he left. She could treat this place like a free hotel.

She would eat his food, use his stuff, and not have to take care of him. Her life was carefree and perfect.

But her peaceful life lasted just one day before she received a new mission from her mom.

"Ms. Clark, can you repeat that? I didn't catch it."

"An audition? Hahahaha, me? What a joke!"

"Unemployed? I'm just between jobs, okay? I'm still looking for jobs!"

"$4,000? Mom, you're being unreasonable!"

"$3,500? Fine, okay! I'll go. I'll go. I'll pack my bags tomorrow!"

Yep, due to a negotiation mishap, she sold herself to an audition for a mere $3,500.

For the sake of the money, she grudgingly agreed to go. Her mom said it was only three months, and after that, she could work at her dad's company. Fine! A wise person knew when to bend and when to stand tall!

12

Arriving at the new trainee camp, Melanie was surrounded by young, beautiful girls full of collagen and youthful energy. For a moment, she felt nervous and regretted her decision. It wasn't until the first training session that she sat on the ground, contemplating her life.

How had her mom managed to squeeze her into this talent show? The other girls could sing, dance, act, and were skilled at flirting and being cute.

What was she, a chemistry major, supposed to showcase?

Should she demonstrate a chemical reaction and blow up the entertainment industry?

"Have you guys heard? Cayden is joining our program as a mentor."

"What? The super popular boy band member, Cayden?"

"Yes, that Cayden!" "No way!" "Oh my god, we're so lucky to be on the show with Cayden as our mentor!" "Yeah, his dancing is incredible, and his voice is totally my type!" "I'm dying!".

A group of girls gathered, excitedly dancing and chatting.

"Excuse me, are we talking about the Cayden who's not even 20 years old?" Melanie finally chimed in.

All the girls turned to glare at her.

"Do you have a problem with his age?"

"Even though he's young, his dancing and singing are unbeatable!"

"Are you some kind of hater?"

A barrage of questions left her dumbfounded.

She waved her hands and scooted off to a corner.

She got scared.

13

That night, Melanie collapsed into bed, sore all over, rethinking her life decisions. If she was guilty of something, let the law punish her, not this daily torture of dance rehearsals!

Her mom's Whatsapp message made things worse. "I talked with Cayden's mom. Since Cayden is always so busy and never has time to meet you, this is the perfect chance for you two to bond while he's mentoring the show. Spend these three months getting to know each other better."

Gee! Melanie thought she'd escaped the apartment and her mom's schemes, but no. It was all a trap, and now she'd been delivered right into Cayden's lap.

Everything was a setup, a trap from the very beginning.

Well, from this day forward, she resolved to be the ultimate slacker in the show, aiming to get eliminated as fast as possible.

The earlier she got eliminated, the earlier she'd be free! She didn't believe her mom could keep her here for three whole months. Three days would be enough to get kicked out!

13

The first performance of Miracle Girl 2021 was about to begin. While everyone else was rehearsing their dance routines, Melanie was snacking on chips. When others were practicing facial expressions, she was still snacking on chips... As expected, her performance was so terrible that all the mentors shook their heads.

Melanie was secretly delighted. She would definitely be eliminated from the show.

"Is this how you normally approach your tasks?" In the mentor's seat, all the judges remained silent, but Cayden, who hadn't said a word until now, spoke up and asked her with utmost seriousness.

Every trainee and mentor turned to look at Cayden in surprise, then shifted their gaze to Melanie.

She was so embarrassed she wanted to disappear.

Cayden, we have no bad blood, why are you making me look so bad? Melanie thought to herself.

"I'm not good at this," she awkwardly replied under the spotlight.

Cayden sighed silently and asked calmly, "Then what are you good at? Eating chips?" The whole room erupted in laughter.

At that moment, Melanie had a thought she wasn't sure if she should say out loud.

Just when everyone thought she was doomed for elimination, Cayden dropped this bombshell: "Go back and practice properly."

What did that mean?

She found out the next day.

Thanks to Cayden, not only was she not eliminated, but she also received two B grades. To top it off, the behind-the-scenes clips of her munching on chips like a chill girl went viral, landing her on the trending pages of major platforms.

14

After the first performance, there was a two-day break. Melanie stayed home, waiting for Cayden.

After waiting all day, she finally saw him.

She rolled up her sleeves and marched straight to his room.

"Cayden, I need to ask you..." But the next second, her words got stuck in her throat.

What did she see?

Was she going blind? He was changing clothes, specifically unbuckling his belt halfway down.

Her stubborn tomboy nature kept her from losing her cool. After all, Cayden was just a kid. And nothing was worth looking at.

"Don't you know how to knock?"

Cayden said coldly, his face dark.

"Knock for what? We're practically married. What's left to see?"

She leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed, boldly giving him a once-over.

"Don't you know what modesty is?"

Cayden's face darkened even more.

"I don't... know! What? Cayden, when you're back home, are you still trying to teach me?"

The thought of him intentionally putting her on the trending list annoyed Melanie to no end.

Cayden was speechless. He stared at Melanie for a few seconds, sighed helplessly, then grabbed his clothes and headed for the bathroom to change. He locked the door behind him, too.

"Hey! Cayden, what's your problem?

Why did you embarrass me on the show?

Why not just eliminate me? Why torture me!"

Melanie fumed at the locked door, but no matter how hard she tried, it wouldn't budge.

"Cayden, I'm warning you. Let's stay out of each other's way for these three months. My mom said after three months, it's either marriage or calling it off!"

Bam!... The door suddenly opened.

She was caught off guard and couldn't say a word from her prepared rant.

"You really don't want to dance?" He towered over her and asked.

"No, I don't."

"Then why did you join the talent show?"

His tone was emotionless.

"What else could it be? What do you think?" Melanie grew a bit agitated. "Of course it's because of you, duh!"

There was no other reason. Her mom and his mom had planned everything, all to push the two of them together.

"Because of me?" For a brief moment, a strange feeling sparked inside Cayden, tingling in his chest.

"Yeah, I'll just be upfront with you. We're not happening."

"Oh..." Instantly, his mood turned even weirder, and his voice became flat.

"You're not my type anyway, and besides, don't you have a girlfriend? Forced relationships don't work. Plus, the original engagement wasn't even supposed to be with you, so why bother..."

"Goodnight."

Cayden abruptly cut her off, his face dark, and shut the door.

"Hey! You brat, so rude! I wasn't finished!" "Come on, I even changed your diapers when you were little. Where's your sense of gratitude?" Wasn't it basic decency to repay kindness? Hadn't he ever learned that in school?

Melanie was so mad she banged on the door but eventually gave up.

In the end, she gave up and went to sleep.

15

"Cayden, where are you working today? Are you passing by the show set? Can I get a ride?" Early in the morning, Melanie trailed behind Cayden like a little follower, trying to get on his good side.

She had to swallow her pride. Taking a taxi from home to the set would cost 200 bucks. After calculating her meager balance, she decided to hitch a ride.

"It's not on the way," Cayden ignored her.

Not just today, but all weekend they had ignored each other.

During the weekend, Cayden ordered a feast of pizza and fried chicken, while Melanie sat on the side, slurping instant noodles with tears in her eyes. The contrast was too harsh.

"Well then, can you drop me at the subway station? I'll take the subway.

Hehe."

Melanie asked, grinning awkwardly.

"I'm catching a flight, no time,"

he responded with the same cold tone.

Melanie was furious.

Silent and sulking, she bit her lip and checked her bank balance.

As he sipped his coffee, he casually glanced her way.

Seeing that she had only $300 left, he thought for a moment, then went to his room to grab his phone.

"Are you short on cash?" Cayden asked nonchalantly, sipping his coffee while playing on his phone.

For the past couple of days, he had thought she was just fond of snacking on chips and instant noodles, never considering she might actually be broke.

"Uh... yeah..." Melanie flopped onto the couch dramatically, wondering how her life had come to this.

She longed for a big feast of meat and fish. She had never craved it so much before.

Her mom had given her $3,500, but after buying a face cream and serum, she only had $500 left. She was truly, utterly broke.

"Do you want to earn some money?" Cayden asked, smiling at her.

Melanie gave him a suspicious look. "I sell my skills, not my body."

Cayden, who had just taken a sip of his coffee, nearly choked and coughed several times.

"Don't get so worked up!" Melanie shot him a scornful look, as if he'd never seen the world. "Don't tell me you celebrities sell yourselves along with your talents?" Her curiosity piqued, she scooted closer, grinning mischievously.

After all the gossip she'd consumed, seeing attractive men made her think they were nothing more than playthings for Sugar Daddy.

"What's going on in your head all day?"

Cayden asked, looking at her like she was crazy.

"Duh... I don't believe you're some innocent boys. Stop pretending,"

Melanie said, then flopped back onto the couch.

Cayden shook his head, speechless, and got ready to leave.

Before walking out, he turned his head slightly and said, "Later, go downstairs and grab a package for me."

"And then?" Was she someone he could just boss around?

"Then add me on WhatsApp, and I'll send you some money."

"Okay, sure, have a nice day!"

Melanie practically thought he was an angel.

As soon as she heard the word "money," her eyes lit up.

17

Cayden was getting interesting. As Melanie enjoyed her delicious chicken wings, she stared at the $1,000 Cayden had just sent her on WhatsApp.

Big spender, indeed. Generous with his cash.

Suddenly, she had a bright idea.

"Cayden, if you ever need anything else done, just let me know. I'm fast. I promise. Haha."

In the car, Cayden glanced at the WhatsApp message, unable to stop the slight smile tugging at the corners of his lips.

"Cayden, Netflix Entertainment Company's actress Charlee wants to stir up a Couple Pairing rumor with you. Here's the proposal,"

his assistant, Dominic, said, handing over a document.

Cayden flipped through a few pages absentmindedly, then closed it without a word.

"What's wrong, Cayden? Last time that model arranged for paparazzi to snap photos of you two at the hotel entrance to ride your fame, and now she's sending out press releases claiming to be your ex-girlfriend.

She's really pushing it.

Since you're not into creating fake relationships for publicity, random people will always try to use you to boost their popularity. You might as well sign a contract couple deal. It'll kill their hopes and give you more control," Dominic suggested.

"Hmm, let me think about it." In the past, he would have never bothered with such trivial matters.

His focus had always been on his performances and singing.

But now, he found himself hesitating.

18

When Melanie found out she had become the center, she was freaking out inside. The chicken foot in her mouth suddenly didn't taste as good anymore. "No, director, please spare me. I really can't do this! I'm not being humble. I truly can't!"

"What? Decided by votes?" Melanie quickly opened Twitter, determined to figure out who had been voting for her. She needed to beg them to stop.

After searching around, she discovered that everyone had become fans of her because of her love for chips. They even wanted to know what flavor she was eating...

Now the whole country knew about her obsession with pork-flavored chips.

The internet really offered no privacy! "Guys, seriously, I can't be in the center position. I'm not being modest. It's the truth!" Before heading to the set, she posted her very first tweet since joining the talent show.

Then, when she arrived, she was dumbfounded.

Her votes had skyrocketed, and she remained firmly in first place.

People said they were drawn to her straightforward personality?

Guys, what was going on here?

"Mom, did you pay the show to keep me in the top spot?

It's not necessary! Really, Mom, it's not worth it.

You should just give the money to me!"

During a dance break, she sneakily sent her mom a WhatsApp message.

"We're in the Shadowmere Gorge. No time to worry about you."

Her mom replied with a message, along with a picture of her and her dad enjoying their vacation at Shadowmere Gorge.

"Sorry for bothering you!" Melanie turned off her phone, feeling hopeless.

19

"Sir, I think Melanie doesn't really want the center position," a sweet voice said.

Who was this kind soul trying to save her from misery?

"Yeah, she's under a lot of pressure. She can't dance or sing."

"All she seems to know how to do is buy trending topics."

"I heard she's got a sugar daddy throwing money at her."

A group of girls gathered around Cayden, complaining.

Melanie wanted the girl talking about a sugar daddy to step forward! She needed to talk privately with that girl!

She was so broke that all she had left was her credit card.

Her biggest Sugar Daddy was bank!

Cayden's lips curled into a small smile.

Sugar daddy?

Did sending her $1,000 make him her sugar daddy? She was so happy she acted like a fool.

"Sir, you're smiling."

The girls gasped in shock.

Their usually cold and aloof idol was smiling. And Cayden looked incredibly attractive while doing so. They were dying on the spot.

"Get back to practice," Cayden said as he stood up and walked toward Melanie, towering over her. "Come with me for a minute."

Melanie, still upset, begrudgingly followed him.

In her mind, he'd been gossiping about her with those girls.

In the hallway, Cayden checked the surroundings to ensure there were no cameras before speaking.

"They have opinions about you."

"Uh-huh, yeah." Melanie replied, completely disinterested.

"You should practice a little,"

he said, sounding frustrated.

"I can't," Melanie said, her voice cracking as she started to feel overwhelmed again. After calming down for a moment, she added, "I'm 24, not 18. I spent the first 20 years of my life in school. Now you want me to dance? How am I supposed to learn this?

One lyric turns into eight moves. You could give me eight arms, and I still wouldn't get it!"

Cayden stayed silent, just watching her.

Seeing her frustration and helplessness, his resolve softened. "Are you going home tonight?" he suddenly asked quietly.

"No, why would I?" She responded with a bit of attitude.

Cayden sighed, exasperated. "I'll be home tonight. If you come back, I'll help you with those moves."

After he said that, the hallway fell into a deep silence.

Melanie stared at him, lost in thought for a moment. "You're not... trying to hit on me, are you?"

Cayden was speechless. "You're overthinking it."

"Oh, good. You scared me there," Melanie patted her chest in relief.

Cayden's face darkened, but he held his tongue.

"Can I hitch a ride with you later?"

Melanie asked as a thought popped into her head and she turned around.

He had been walking behind her and following too closely, so the two of them bumped right into each other.

There are reporters," he murmured, quickly averting his gaze and slowing down.

"What are you worried about? You have so many girlfriends, and no one will remember!" Melanie playfully nudged his chest with her elbow.

His heart shattered.

Then it twisted itself into knots at her words, "You have so many girlfriends."