I Became the Female Lead’s Current Obsession - Chapter 1

The blazing sun hung high overhead, not a drop of rain in sight.

Jiang Qing leaned against the only slightly cooler wall, feeling stifled by the sweltering heat. Even in the shade, the scorching ground seemed determined to melt her from the feet up.

She tilted her head slightly. Now that the obstruction was gone, she had a clear view into the Class 4, Grade 11 classroom.

A tall, slender figure stood at the podium—clearly a student, though not in uniform. Instead, she wore a crisp white shirt. Her back was straight as a rod, and her long, silky hair was tied neatly behind her head, the ends swaying gently with her movements.

Perhaps to avoid getting her sleeves wet, she had rolled them up carefully, revealing thin wrists so bony they almost looked fragile.

This was the second time Hou Xue was cleaning the blackboard.

Jiang Qing couldn’t understand this kind of behavior—being forced to do someone else’s grunt work, yet still treating it with such meticulous care.

The two air conditioners in the classroom had broken down together this morning, rendering them useless against the ever-rising summer heat. Only an old, creaking ceiling fan did its best to provide relief.

Hou Xue had spent nearly an hour cleaning the classroom. Jiang Qing had been standing outside the whole time.

Originally, Jiang Qing had planned a “chance encounter” as a way to make conversation and walk home with the female lead, easing the tension between their characters. But who could’ve guessed that the entire floor would be empty by now, yet Hou Xue was still inside—cleaning the classroom again, determined to wipe the blackboard a second time.

This was Jiang Qing’s second day inside the world of When the Snow Stops, and her first attempt to actively repair her relationship with the female lead, Hou Xue.

The character she now inhabited was your classic villainess—Hou Xue’s so-called stepsister.

So-called, because Jiang Qing’s father and Hou Xue’s mother were never married. They simply lived together out of convenience.

In the original story, Jiang Qing’s role was quite substantial—but mostly during Hou Xue’s school years, where she existed solely to torment both the protagonist and the reader. Whether leading the class to ostracize Hou Xue or stirring up trouble without cause, her appearances were consistently malicious.

But now things were different. Jiang Qing had become self-aware.

Initially, she had resolved to stay out of trouble and avoid contact with the heroine altogether—but plans rarely survive reality.

After observing for a day at school, Jiang Qing realized that turning a blind eye and pretending to be a bystander seemed… inhumane.

Like right now—leaving Hou Xue to clean the entire classroom alone? That was definitely the original Jiang Qing’s doing.

Jiang Qing hesitated for a moment, then stepped inside.

The classroom was quiet, filled only with the buzz of the fan and the cicadas chirping outside—pure summer atmosphere.

Hou Xue paused in her work, turned toward Jiang Qing, and didn’t say a word. Her expression wasn’t surprised—just calmly indifferent.

It made Jiang Qing feel a little awkward.

Hou Xue’s eyes were too clear. So clear that being stared at by her made you feel like there was nowhere to hide.

Perhaps that’s how the original Jiang Qing had felt too—only instead of feeling guilt, she’d wanted to destroy her.

“Stop wiping. Let’s go,” Jiang Qing said, avoiding eye contact and letting her gaze fall to Hou Xue’s exposed arms—pale and delicate under the white shirt.

So fair and thin.

Beautiful, yes—but far from healthy.

She probably needed more protein. Maybe even some calcium supplements.

Jiang Qing stared at her arms for a long time, not realizing how odd her behavior was. In the end, she even nodded to herself in thought.

Hou Xue didn’t seem impressed by her step-sister’s sudden show of kindness. Without hesitation, she replied, “No.” Her gaze lingered on Jiang Qing for only a few seconds before returning to her task, uninterested.

Jiang Qing wasn’t angry at the rejection—she wasn’t even surprised.

She pulled a helpless face and said, “Don’t stay too late,” before turning to leave.

Hou Xue didn’t react to that parting remark. It was as if Jiang Qing’s words had floated past her like a breeze, unnoticed and unimportant.

Jiang Qing couldn’t help glancing back one more time. Through the window, she saw Hou Xue’s straight back, still graceful and unwavering. She curled her lips.

So cold-hearted.

But Jiang Qing wasn’t truly disappointed. After all, the original had treated Hou Xue terribly, and someone like Hou Xue wasn’t likely to accept kindness that easily—especially one so sudden and out of character.

Hou Xue probably suspected her of having ulterior motives.

That was exactly why Jiang Qing had planned a “coincidence” in the first place. Heaven knows, she genuinely just wanted to offer the girl—who usually squeezed onto crowded public buses—a private ride home.

Too bad it didn’t work.

Jiang Qing thought about this as she walked downstairs.

The familiar car was still waiting at its usual spot. As she stepped through the school gate, she headed straight for it.

“Second Miss, you’re late today?” the driver asked.

“Mm.” Jiang Qing gave a perfunctory response, then lied without hesitation: “Stayed back to ask the teacher a few questions. Took longer than expected.”

With nothing else to do during the ride home, her thoughts kept circling back to Hou Xue. She tried to distract herself but eventually gave up and let her mind wander freely.

The novel had begun with Hou Xue’s school years.

Jiang Qing wasn’t quite sure how to categorize When the Snow Stops. It spanned the first thirty years of Hou Xue’s life.

The first eighteen were spent under someone else’s roof, suffering under a step-sister’s oppression. In the twelve years that followed, she rose from nothing, met mentors, and lived a dazzling life. But even by the end, she was still alone.

For a novel in the female-led genre, the romance subplot was practically non-existent. No one ever developed romantic feelings for the protagonist. No matter how beautiful she was, it made no difference. Her fate was loneliness.

Jiang Qing always thought the book had a sadistic edge toward its heroine. The tragic childhood was one thing, but even the so-called rise to power came at enormous personal cost.

Hou Xue was alone from beginning to end.

She was constantly betrayed, and by the time she reached the top, she had no one left to trust. Even her high position seemed like something thrust upon her—never something she truly desired.

Perhaps Hou Xue never wanted anything at all. She’d merely been pushed forward by circumstance.

The author never made her motivations clear, which made Jiang Qing feel lost too.

Maybe it was meant to maintain the character’s aloof mystique—or maybe the author simply hadn’t thought it through.

Plot-wise, When the Snow Stops could be categorized as a “cool” revenge-style story. But it lacked the satisfying payoff and cathartic beats that defined traditional versions of the genre.

It had the “cool,” but not the rest. In the end, it was a hybrid that didn’t fully satisfy any particular audience.

So not many readers followed it, and the author clearly never meant it to be a hit. It was updated sporadically, while their other work received daily updates. Eventually, after a long time, this one just… ended.

Jiang Qing had only read When the Snow Stops by accident. She’d intended to buy another book from the same author and happened to win a raffle that came with a free copy of this one.

They only gave out one prize. She’d thought she was lucky.

Looking back now, it was probably just her bad luck.

Of all the characters to possess—why her? Why the step-sister?

Still, Jiang Qing was nothing if not pragmatic. Since she was here, she’d make the most of it. After all, getting a second chance at youth was a good deal, regardless of whether she could go back. She’d already tried last night—there was no system, no portal, no cheat code.

Clearly, the idea that “every transmigration comes with a golden finger” was a lie.

Outside the window, the scenery whizzed by, then slowly came to a halt.

Jiang Qing got out of the car and walked toward the villa. Passing through the garden, she saw the roses in full bloom.

When she’d arrived yesterday, they had barely started budding. Now they were bursting open in brilliant color.

The sight was intoxicating.

Only in novels could someone afford to landscape such a vast garden on prime city real estate. But these rich folks did know how to enjoy life—even the air smelled delicately fragrant.

Now was peak rose season. Too bad she was a student. With early mornings and late nights spent at school, by the time vacation arrived, the blooms would be gone.

Slightly regretful, Jiang Qing picked up her pace.

High school was a distant memory for her. The only subjects she could easily recall were the three core ones. After zoning out through most of today’s lessons, she doubted she could handle the homework. She had to be strategic.

At this point in the story, the Jiang family was at its peak—owning a villa in the city center wasn’t something just anyone could manage.

Their power stemmed from one major connection—Jiang Bin’s late wife’s influential family.

That’s also why Hou Xue’s mother, Cao Fenlan, had never officially married Jiang Bin.

As a result, Cao Fenlan was in an awkward position—living as a wife in all but name, yet without any other options.

Hou Xue’s situation was even more precarious in the Jiang household, and Jiang Qing had made things worse. But in a roundabout way, this also laid the foundation for the heroine’s future empire.

When it came to making money, Hou Xue was a natural. She had both the skills and the drive. She just didn’t have many chances to spend.

If the timeline followed the plot, her first fortune was coming soon—during the summer break, just over a month away.

As she pulled out her homework and absentmindedly flipped through it, Jiang Qing made a plan: if she could improve her relationship with Hou Xue over the next month and lend her a hand at the start of her career, then she could bow out gracefully.

After that, she’d keep her distance from both the plot and the protagonist, ace the college entrance exam, and carve out a future for herself.

Who knows? Maybe she could even get into this world’s top university. She wasn’t sure if there were equivalents to the 985 or 211 schools, but she did know that Hou Xue would eventually attend the most prestigious one—Ting University.

The only trouble was that the original Jiang Qing had excellent grades—top of the class and ranking near the top of the entire year. If not for the disaster that befell her during the college entrance exam, she would’ve had a great future. But now, there wasn’t much time left before finals.

Memorization wasn’t the problem—calculations and critical thinking were.

She slogged through the three main subjects before finally getting stuck on physics and chemistry.

What kind of transmigrator struggles this much? It was honestly embarrassing.

After twirling her pen in thought for a while, Jiang Qing finally came up with a brilliant plan:

Ask the academic goddess for tutoring. Gain knowledge and favor at the same time. A double win.

As for whether she’d be disturbing Hou Xue’s studies?

Please. With a protagonist-level cheat like hers, no amount of tutoring could hold her back.