I Became the Female Lead’s Current Obsession - Chapter 14

As Jiang Qing stepped out of the mall, she noticed the sky had darkened.

In the blink of an eye, rain poured down from the heavy, black clouds like it cost nothing.

Droplets hit the dry, scorching pavement with force, creating a sharp, sizzling sound, faintly accompanied by a tearing hiss as the water evaporated on impact.

The weather had changed unbelievably fast.

It was clearly summer, but the gloom in the sky was no less somber than an autumn day.

Maybe… autumn was near?

Water splashed around her feet as Jiang Qing lowered her head to fiddle with her phone.

Beside her stood a couple sharing an umbrella. The man tilted it toward the woman, allowing his shoulder to soak in the rain. It looked sweet.

Unfortunately, Jiang Qing had no umbrella, nor a boyfriend willing to get drenched for her—but she did have an obedient, graceful, and strikingly composed stepsister.

With that thought, she didn’t feel too bad.

She sent a message to her driver, asking where he was. He replied that he was waiting at the same drop-off point.

But now, the plaza was a sea of umbrellas, and Jiang Qing couldn’t see the edge of the street.

She was wearing mesh white sneakers today.

It had been sunny and breezy when she left—who would’ve thought a torrential downpour would arrive by midday?

A flash of lightning tore through the sky.

“Sudden shower,” Hou Xue said, reaching out a hand to catch the crystal-like raindrops, big as marbles.

“Mm, wind’s picking up too,” Jiang Qing replied. “Let’s head back inside—it should pass soon.”

…

The rain didn’t last long, but the sky never cleared entirely.

When Jiang Qing and Hou Xue returned home, they were surprised to find Jiang Xing also at the house. Nowadays, he barely reacted to seeing them arrive together. He just approached Jiang Qing and asked where they’d been.

“We went to see a movie,” she said.

“A movie?” Jiang Xing’s eyes flicked between the two. “Don’t tell me it was that trending romance film…”

Jiang Qing nodded nonchalantly and moved the topic along. “So why are you home today?”

“Wow, sis, what kind of question is that? Am I not allowed to be here? I wasn’t even bothering you.” Jiang Xing dodged the question and changed the subject. “Have you eaten?”

“Mm. You go ahead. We’re heading upstairs,” she said with a look of noble sacrifice.

Honestly, no one wants to relive their high school years—least of all someone like her, who genuinely hated studying. But for the sake of her future—and the lofty promises she’d already made—she had to push forward.

Hou Xue exchanged a glance with Jiang Xing before following Jiang Qing upstairs.

Jiang Xing’s expression immediately darkened.

His feelings toward Hou Xue were complicated. Something about the way she clung to his sister didn’t sit right with him. But Jiang Qing had suddenly become fiercely protective of her, to the point they were practically inseparable—leaving him with no chance to intervene.

“Those overly sweet dishes today—did my sister ask you to make them?” Jiang Xing casually questioned a nearby maid.

“It was the second miss who requested them… and she specifically said to place them in front of Miss Hou…”

Jiang Xing’s scowl deepened. He could practically taste the saccharine sweetness of the dishes. He grimaced and muttered, “No more of that stuff today.”

The maid nodded and went back to the kitchen, puzzled as to why the young master was so upset.

After all, the dishes were clearly meant to annoy Hou Xue—everyone in the household staff knew that.

Unless…

Her eyes widened.

“What’s with that face? What did the young master say to you?” another maid tugged her sleeve.

“I think… I just uncovered a massive secret,” she said, dazed.

“Huh? Spill it!” The second maid’s gossip senses tingled.

“This is just… too wild. So dramatic…” she murmured to herself.

“Come on, tell me already!” The second maid stamped her foot in frustration.

“Well… okay, but you can’t tell anyone else. I think… the young master’s fallen for Hou Xue.”

…

Hou Xue was patient when tutoring—like a gentle stream, slow but steady. She had the calm demeanor of a teacher who never lost their temper.

“You just missed a step here. Try approaching it from this angle…” Her voice was soft, low, and perfectly measured.

Jiang Qing often felt like her mistakes were disgraceful—how could she have a diploma and still mess up so badly? But Hou Xue never showed the slightest hint of annoyance. Her composure never cracked, not even once.

And it wasn’t an act.

Having read the original novel, Jiang Qing knew Hou Xue simply didn’t care.

She cared about nothing. That serene, guarded expression of hers was one of her few emotional disguises.

Someone once told Hou Xue that her real face—devoid of any mask—looked like she wasn’t alive at all.

Jiang Qing suddenly smacked a fist into her palm. “Ah! That makes sense. Got it now.”

“Good. Let’s move on.” Hou Xue returned Jiang Qing’s pen and refocused on her own notebook.

Jiang Qing picked up her pen. There was no lingering warmth from Hou Xue’s touch, no trace she’d ever held it.

Just as Hou Xue had mentioned earlier, she’d adjusted the workload slightly—ten worksheets had become seven.

For Chinese, she hadn’t assigned any test papers. After reviewing Jiang Qing’s homework, Hou Xue deemed it unnecessary for now—language arts weren’t something you could cram in a few weeks anyway.

The three sheets cut were from biology and English. Jiang Qing had met Hou Xue’s expectations in biology thanks to her original body’s memory. As for English, they dropped a basic-level worksheet.

Besides Chinese, English was the subject Jiang Qing used most after graduation—it was the one she could actually shine in. Even though she had already reached Hou Xue’s target level, Jiang Qing flew through

English papers so quickly it barely took any time. Plus, doing them served as a nice mental break.

Math was fine too. But given Jiang Qing’s dismal performance in physics, Hou Xue didn’t reduce her math workload.

Sunday afternoons became academic torture.

That relentless stream of worksheets—it was like taking the college entrance exam all over again. What would this life’s exam feel like if the practice was already this intense?

Jiang Qing often joked that she might drop dead from all this studying. But the truth was, her brain only got sharper. She was starting to enjoy the grind.

When she casually asked Hou Xue how long this madness would continue, Hou Xue replied, “This is only the second week. It’s normal to feel uncomfortable. Don’t worry—the closer we get to the exam, the fewer sheets you’ll have.”

Jiang Qing thought she heard something vaguely comforting in that reply, though she wasn’t sure if she imagined it.

They finished at 8 PM, and Jiang Qing felt weirdly fulfilled.

Ever since she invited Hou Xue to tutor her, the day always ended with Hou Xue slinging her bag over her shoulder and walking away, leaving only her tall silhouette behind.

But this time, Jiang Qing instinctively reached out and stopped her.

Unsurprisingly, Hou Xue responded with a slight frown.

“I, uh…” Jiang Qing opened a drawer and pulled out a small item, gently pressing it into Hou Xue’s hand. “Thanks for all your hard work.”

It was a bar of milk chocolate—the kind Hou Xue liked in the original story. Jiang Qing had recently stocked up.

Last time she gave her dark chocolate out of spite. If she meant it sincerely, she’d always go for milk.

“You like chocolate?” Hou Xue asked as she took it.

“Huh? Oh, no.” Jiang Qing paused, then added, “Not really… I just…” You like it, so I keep some around. But she couldn’t say that part out loud. It stuck in her throat, uncomfortable and unresolved.

“I see.” Hou Xue didn’t push for more. She tucked the chocolate into her pocket, pulled out a piece of candy, and placed it on the table before walking out.

Was that… reciprocity?

Jiang Qing picked up the candy and thought back to the unpleasant tutoring session the week before.

“Feels familiar,” she muttered, unwrapping the green candy. “…Apple flavor.”

Surprisingly tasty.

Like the orange one—sweet and sour—but this one had a cool finish that lingered.

Meanwhile, Hou Xue was in her room, turning the chocolate over in her hands. Her expression hadn’t changed much—but something was subtly different.

She seemed… in a good mood.

Her phone buzzed on the desk, breaking the moment.

“…Hello.” Upon seeing the caller ID, Hou Xue’s voice dropped, her body leaning back as she withdrew her hand from the chocolate.

…

Hou Xue took an umbrella.

The rain had started again, heavier than before, accompanied by brilliant flashes of lightning that split the thick clouds.

She didn’t want to go out. Just listening to the rain tapping on the floor-to-ceiling windows was enough to make her feel cold.

Maybe it would pass soon—like earlier.

But as thunder rolled, Hou Xue suddenly realized: she had spent far too much of her personal time on her stepsister.

And there was absolutely no need to.

She’d offered to tutor Jiang Qing of her own volition.

And what had she gotten in return? Nothing. Now, in the middle of a stormy night, she had to go to an internet café to finish long-overdue freelance work.

All of this mess could’ve been avoided.

Hou Xue didn’t like wasting time on things that served no purpose.

Helping her stepsister—without gain—was exactly that.

The “kindness” of a counterfeit sibling meant nothing. Hou Xue looked at the chocolate again, suddenly wondering if she’d lost her mind.

Fragments of thought flashed through her mind.

She hesitated for a second, her mask slipping completely.

Or maybe… she just hadn’t figured it out yet.

She waited by the curb for a taxi. The Jiang residence was near the city center, and beyond the estate’s limits, the night scene glittered with restless energy.

Neon lights. Music. Endless distractions.

Her slender figure and calm profile didn’t belong in that world.

Maybe from standing too long, fatigue crept in. She took out her phone, unlocked the screen—a simple interface. Then she entered a password, opening a hidden space.

She tapped an icon in the lower right corner, revealing a chat page.

No new messages.

Hou Xue returned the phone to her pocket and flagged down a green-lit cab.

It was time to seriously reconsider things—especially when it came to her stepsister.

…

The internet café was locked when Hou Xue arrived.

Knowing Luo Qi’s habits, she wasn’t surprised. She called her.

“I’m outside.”

Luo Qi, half-asleep, dragged herself out of bed, still wrapped in a blanket, and came downstairs to open the door.

She wore only underwear. The heating inside was warm, and the rain sounded far away. But as soon as she opened the door, the cold stabbed her like a knife, snapping her fully awake.

Then she saw Hou Xue—standing outside like a lunatic in just a thin shirt.

“What are you wearing, are you crazy? Get in here.” Luo Qi waved her in.