I Became the Female Lead’s Current Obsession - Chapter 18

The last class on Thursday afternoon was physics.

Jiang Qing could now keep up with the teacher effortlessly. Her logic was sharp and clear.

All thanks to the genius at home.

Just thinking about it made Jiang Qing chuckle to herself. Xu Miao gave her a side glance, her face full of helplessness.

A perfectly normal person had used someone else’s sick leave as an excuse to skip three days of school, only to return and do nothing but smile like an idiot.

As soon as the bell rang, Jiang Qing and Xu Miao said goodbye to each other. Jiang Qing packed her bag and walked to the back of the classroom.

Hou Xue saw her coming, stood up, and headed to the balcony to grab a broom.

Jiang Qing followed behind, eyes fixed on Hou Xue’s nape and the graceful line of her back.

“The last problem the teacher covered is important—it might appear in a similar form on the final.” Hou Xue spoke as she walked, addressing Jiang Qing behind her.

“Mm.” Jiang Qing nodded. “Got it.”

She remembered the first time she interacted with Hou Xue—it was also during Thursday’s classroom cleaning.

Back then, Hou Xue had coldly turned down her offer to help. Her expression had been unreadable, distant even, but that image of her back with her sleeves loosely rolled up had burned itself into Jiang Qing’s memory. She couldn’t erase it no matter how hard she tried.

Later, Jiang Qing found out that Hou Xue was only responsible for sweeping the floor. It was actually Miao Xiao who was in charge of wiping the blackboard.

That poor girl had been bullied pretty badly—though perhaps only outsiders saw it that way. Hou Xue herself never once acted aggrieved.

Zhu Yao and Miao Xiao had disappeared again, but Jiang Qing didn’t care. That was the hygiene rep’s responsibility. In fact, Zhu Yao not being there made things better—less annoying. Once Hou Xue finished sweeping her half of the classroom, they could leave.

Last week, Jiang Qing had offered to help Hou Xue sweep, only to be gently refused. Hou Xue pressed her lips together and declined. Jiang Qing respected her pride and didn’t insist.

What else could she do? She simply went along with it.

There was only a bit of paper trash, so Hou Xue swept quickly. Just in time—two students carrying water buckets for mopping arrived.

“Let’s go.” Jiang Qing handed Hou Xue her backpack.

“Mm.” Hou Xue gave her a small smile.

Lately, Hou Xue smiled at Jiang Qing a lot. Naturally, Jiang Qing was happy. She took it as a sign of growing closeness.

Well… truthfully, she was very happy.

No matter how many times she saw that smile, it never got old.

Sometimes, Jiang Qing would even wonder: if Hou Xue could smile at her so freely now, would her boundaries soften even more in the future? Maybe she’d start giving Jiang Qing more… “privileges.”

But Jiang Qing never showed these thoughts outwardly. Somewhere deep inside, she sensed she was treading an invisible line.

Keeping things as they were was enough. She was content.

As summer approached, the temperatures soared. Jiang Qing and Hou Xue walked side by side beneath the shade of trees.

Dappled sunlight danced on the ground, so bright that Jiang Qing had to squint. Even the fine dust drifting in the air became visible to her.

Suddenly, Jiang Qing grabbed Hou Xue’s hand.

It wasn’t exactly holding hands—more like catching it.

Hou Xue looked at her with a puzzled expression but didn’t pull away right away.

“It’s hot,” Jiang Qing said. “Help me cool down, will you?” She avoided Hou Xue’s gaze.

To be honest, she was a little embarrassed. The action was purely instinctive—done without thinking.

She must’ve really been feeling the heat and just wanted something cool to touch.

Hou Xue’s hand was slender, soft, and cool—much cooler than Jiang Qing’s current body temperature.

Jiang Qing had held this hand once before—back when she rescued the girl in the old town—but she’d been too focused on running to notice how it felt.

Now, holding Hou Xue’s hand, her restless heart calmed down too.

The air was stifling, like a giant steamer, and yet strangely comforting.

Occasionally, students passed them, laughing and chatting. But all Jiang Qing felt was peace and serenity.

To be honest, walking like this, hand in hand, didn’t seem like such a bad idea.

If only this road could go on a little longer.

But no matter how long the road, it always ends somewhere.

The car’s air conditioning was on full blast, and Jiang Qing naturally let go of Hou Xue’s hand.

As she got in, her fingers brushed against a callus on Hou Xue’s fingertip.

She froze for a moment—thankfully, she reacted quickly.

Must be from typing too much.

Hou Xue’s hand flinched when Jiang Qing touched the rough patch and she instinctively pulled it back.

Jiang Qing might have asked about it, but she didn’t. She simply turned her gaze to the window.

Hou Xue lowered her head to look at her fingertip. Her eyes dimmed, flickering, clearly not pleased.

…

Jiang Qing leaned back in her seat, listening to an English audio track. She had finished her homework and the extra tasks Hou Xue had given her. Now it was time to relax.

If someone had told her in the past that she’d one day treat English listening practice as relaxation, she’d have laughed in their face.

But now? She not only did it—she actually enjoyed it.

A soft female voice filled her ears, while beside her sat a real-life beauty.

Hou Xue was working through a new set of must-do senior year practice problems.

The last physics question looked particularly tough—Hou Xue had written several lines of calculations on her scratch paper.

Jiang Qing stared at her unabashedly, without even trying to hide it.

She knew how focused Hou Xue got when solving problems. As long as she hadn’t finished the set, she wouldn’t notice anything else—not even a long, unwavering stare.

So Jiang Qing took rare liberty in her honesty.

She just wanted to look at her. Though Jiang Qing was reluctant to admit it, her behavior bordered on obsession.

She’d barely scratched the surface of Hou Xue’s inner world, and already she couldn’t pull away.

Hou Xue really did seem flawless. Almost too perfect to be real.

So unreal that Jiang Qing feared she’d regret it forever if she didn’t look just a little longer.

Hou Xue stopped writing.

“What are you staring at?”

“Uh…” Jiang Qing quickly averted her gaze and sat up straight, trying to come up with an excuse. “Just… zoning out while listening to English.”

“What’s it about?” Hou Xue asked casually.

“Environmental protection, I think?” Jiang Qing blurted out, having caught the word environment.

Hou Xue began packing up. “I’m heading back.”

Jiang Qing took off her earphones, frowning slightly.

She opened her mouth—wanting to stop Hou Xue—but the words stuck in her throat. She eventually said nothing.

Lately, she’d been spacing out while watching Hou Xue more and more. Hou Xue had probably noticed by now.

But what could she do? She couldn’t help it.

Soon… soon she’d get herself back in check.

Jiang Qing followed behind Hou Xue, leaning against the doorway, smiling as she watched Hou Xue walk into her room.

When the girl’s figure finally disappeared into the quiet hallway, the smile on Jiang Qing’s lips faded.

Then, Jiang Xing’s door creaked open.

“Jie…” He poked his head out hesitantly.

“Still up this late?” Jiang Qing asked.

“…It’s the only time you’re not glued to her.” Jiang Xing muttered.

Jiang Qing knew exactly what her brother was thinking and didn’t refute him like she used to.

The sister who had always been by his side suddenly grew distant, spending all her time with someone who wasn’t even family—it would upset anyone.

No matter how Jiang Qing saw it, Jiang Xing treated her like a real sister. Sometimes, she had to consider his perspective too.

“Well, it’s just the two of us now, isn’t it?” Jiang Qing said soothingly, knowing exactly what to say to cheer him up.

Sure enough, Jiang Xing brightened. “Jie, isn’t summer break coming up?”

Jiang Qing did a mental calculation. “Mm. One more week of exams, then two more weeks of class. A month off after that.”

“Then let’s go on a trip this summer! We’ll bring Miao-jie, and I’ll invite one of my buddies from class.”

Jiang Qing didn’t answer right away. She tilted her head, trying to recall the original plot—but nothing came to mind.

Actually, there was quite a bit of story about Hou Xue’s school life.

But Jiang Qing, a loyal fan of the author’s other fast-paced novel, had skimmed through all the frustrating early parts of When the Snow Stops. She’d read twenty lines at a time and flipped pages like wildfire.

Sometimes, she’d put the book down for weeks before picking it back up. She never bothered reviewing the plot.

She only really remembered the character dynamics. As for the rest—only specific scenes could jog her memory.

This summer break likely didn’t hold any major plot developments.

“Sure. But just so we’re clear, let’s not go too far—no overseas trips or anything. Studying is still the priority,” Jiang Qing said seriously.

Jiang Xing, who had only recently started taking classes seriously, looked a little sheepish.

“…Haha, it’s only a few days. Won’t affect my studies.”

“By the way, how’s school going?” Jiang Qing suddenly took on a parental tone. “If there’s anything you don’t understand, ask me or your Sister Hou Xue.”

“I got it… Jie, why are you turning this into a lecture? Weren’t we talking about summer break?” Jiang Xing grumbled.

Jiang Qing used to leave him to his own devices. His grades were what they were. Although he still didn’t feel great about sharing them now, it made him kind of happy that she cared.

Bittersweet, really.

“As long as you’re aware.” Jiang Qing smiled. “So, tell me—where do you want to go?”

“That new international resort! They’re doing a soft opening this summer. It’s supposed to be amazing, and it’s not far.”

“Okay,” Jiang Qing agreed without hesitation.

“Not many people during the trial run either. Jie, think about who else you want to invite.”

Jiang Qing raised an eyebrow, smiling. “No one else—just Miao-jie and Sister Hou Xue.”

Jiang Xing paused, then gritted his teeth. “…Fine.”

Jiang Qing found his expression amusing. “What’s with the face? Relax, I’ll talk to Hou Xue sometime. What if she says no?”

Hopefully, Jiang Xing thought, silently chanting prayers to both Buddha and Jesus.

Unfortunately, he forgot the two didn’t mix. Crossing faiths like that? Definitely bad luck.

“Alright, go to bed.” Jiang Qing said. “And stop avoiding your Sister Hou Xue. You’re not a kid anymore—don’t act so shy.”

“Who’s shy?!” Jiang Xing protested.

Jiang Qing laughed and closed the door behind her. “Whoever answered, that’s who.”