I Became the Female Lead’s Current Obsession - Chapter 19
That weekend, Jiang Qing casually brought up the idea of hanging out with Hou Xue.
Hou Xue agreed almost instantly, without the slightest hesitation.
Jiang Qing was a bit surprised. She’d genuinely thought Hou Xue might turn her down—after all, besides school, Hou Xue was pursuing her career. No matter how you looked at it, her time shouldn’t be that free.
“You’re really coming? Not going to think it over?” Jiang Qing asked again, cautiously and diplomatically.
Hou Xue looked up at her. “You’re the one who invited me.”
Jiang Qing nodded.
“Then why are you asking like that? Do you not want me to come?” Hou Xue said softly, her tone unreadable.
“Of course I want you to come. I just didn’t want to mess up your schedule.”
How polite.
Hou Xue narrowed her eyes.
From past events, it seemed Jiang Qing knew quite a bit about her—definitely more than the old Jiang Qing ever did.
“What could I possibly have going on that’s more important than being with you?” Hou Xue asked, though her grip on her pen subtly tightened.
Jiang Qing didn’t even flinch before lying: “You’re a top student. Naturally, you should keep focusing on your studies.”
Hou Xue didn’t argue further. She simply handed Jiang Qing another set of practice problems. “Exams are coming up—so it’s extra prep.”
Catching sight of Jiang Qing’s sorrowful face, Hou Xue almost laughed—but she had to take things seriously right now, so she barely allowed the corner of her lips to lift.
If Jiang Qing didn’t want to explain things, then fine—more problems would do.
Before Jiang Qing showed up, Hou Xue had always been calm and detached, with a “none of this concerns me” kind of attitude.
Lately, though, she’d been smiling more and more—and every single smile was for Jiang Qing.
She had hesitated at first.
But that hesitation had ended one afternoon.
Even if Jiang Qing was full of secrets, even if she never said a word about herself—even to Snow, who acted like a mechanical doll—it didn’t matter.
Hou Xue wasn’t one to tread carefully through life.
She could gamble.
If she didn’t even have the courage to take that chance, she wouldn’t have agreed to collaborate with that team at this time.
There was still plenty of time. And the reward of victory was something she craved deeply.
So, what if it was just one gamble? Her heart was already too empty to offer anything more—but she also had nothing left to lose.
________________________________________
Now it was the final week before exams.
Jiang Qing had started studying a month ago. But now, even as the exams loomed, she didn’t feel that nervous. She remembered how the “original” Jiang Qing would even use gym class time to study around now.
There were only two PE classes a week, and both would be sacrificed to studying—just like the group of girls now gathered around her, heads bent over textbooks.
The old Jiang Qing used to be one of them. On the surface, she’d gotten along well with those girls. But since Jiang Qing had “arrived,” she’d found these tangled relationships exhausting. Things had gradually
cooled off.
Although the body’s original owner hadn’t cared much for sports, surprisingly, her stamina was decent—above average, at least. She wasn’t the type to get winded after a few steps.
Back in her previous life, Jiang Qing had been tall enough that during high school she’d been picked out by the PE teacher to join the school team for a few days. Watching the team members now, sweat flying as they trained on the court, brought on a wave of nostalgia.
Xu Miao was reviewing Chinese. After a whirlwind session of memorizing, she was ready to take a break before tackling physics. When she looked up, she noticed Jiang Qing staring off at the far end of the basketball court.
She hesitated, then asked, “Didn’t you say you weren’t into him anymore?”
“Huh?” Jiang Qing blinked.
“Nie Rui,” Xu Miao clarified, flipping through her workbook. “If you’re over him, why are you still watching him?”
Jiang Qing was baffled, but now that Xu Miao had pointed it out, she focused—and spotted Nie Rui running back and forth on the court.
“I don’t know if you’ll believe me, but I’ve been watching the ball the whole time… Don’t even look at the player’s face?”
“If you don’t even know who has the ball, what’s the point of watching?” Xu Miao pressed, clearly unconvinced.
She knew how deep Jiang Qing had fallen for Nie Rui before. It was hard to believe she’d just let that go. And now it looked like those old feelings might be flaring up again—so of course she had to ask.
“Jersey number,” Jiang Qing said, watching again. “Oh—number eleven, that’s him?”
Xu Miao gave her a disdainful look.
“Him? He just charges at people ‘cause he’s built like a tank,” Jiang Qing scoffed. Now that she’d recognized Nie Rui, she had zero interest in watching anymore. She scanned the lawn for Hou Xue.
Hou Xue had said she’d gone to borrow a board game from the equipment room—but she hadn’t returned yet.
Jiang Qing felt bored. She leaned back on the bench, elbow on the backrest, eyes half-lidded as she stared at the sky.
A few minutes passed, and just as she was getting drowsy, someone blocked the light.
A figure stood in silhouette in front of her.
Startled, Jiang Qing shut her eyes, then reopened them. After a moment, she sat up and clearly saw who it was.
“What the hell do you want?” she said irritably.
Nie Rui gave a cold snort. “You were watching me.”
Jiang Qing: “…”
Xu Miao stopped writing. She sensed trouble and stepped in. “She wasn’t watching you, number eleven.”
Nie Rui glanced at her, uninterested. Not his type.
“I was watching the game—not you specifically,” Jiang Qing explained.
Nie Rui clearly didn’t buy it.
“You used to sit here and watch me all the time. I know you still—” He didn’t finish the sentence, but his eyes said enough.
Jiang Qing was speechless.
She was completely grossed out. No point arguing further. She stood up, ready to leave.
“Where do you think you’re going?” Nie Rui grabbed her arm.
He hadn’t forgotten what happened between them before. He was petty—always held grudges.
With men, he used his fists. With women… he exercised a different kind of patience.
“From that distance, I really couldn’t see your face,” Jiang Qing said coldly. “But you spotted me right away, huh? Who’s really obsessed with who?” She left her sentence hanging, then tried to pull free.
But this time, Nie Rui had learned his lesson—he gripped her tighter, and she couldn’t shake him off.
The crowd began to murmur—Yan Rui’s favorite drama-watching instinct kicked in, especially since they were surrounded by girls.
“Jiang Qing, I’ve given you more chances than anyone. Don’t take it for granted,” Nie Rui growled.
“Speak properly—what’s with all the grabbing?” Xu Miao reached out, trying to pry his hand off.
Jiang Qing knew how the original story ended.
The original Jiang Qing had married Nie Rui.
Looking at things now, that version of her wasn’t just blind—she was brain-dead. Her taste in men? Completely hopeless.
The worst kind of man, clingy, overbearing, disgusting—yet so full of himself. Truly a match made in hell.
Thud.
“Fvck—!”
A basketball slammed into Nie Rui’s forearm, making him instantly let go of Jiang Qing.
“Who the hell threw that?!”
Jiang Qing quickly stepped away, and when she looked back—she saw Hou Xue standing at the edge of the court.
She held a box of chess pieces in one hand, her other arm by her side. When their eyes met, she smiled.
That smile was gentle.
Maybe it was the distance, but it looked even more vivid than usual.
Jiang Qing’s mood lifted instantly.
She wanted to be closer to her.
She grabbed the railing, leaped down from the stands, not bothering to think about anything else.
Hou Xue blinked in surprise, but her reflexes moved faster than her thoughts.
She reached out instinctively—trying to catch her.
Jiang Qing was grinning, bold and radiant. The wind blew through her hair, rustling the tree beside the platform, creating a sound that stirred something deep inside.
Hou Xue was sure: this was the real Jiang Qing.
No pretense.
Full of life.
She probably wasn’t much older than this in her previous life—this was likely her most vibrant age.
The only regret was that Hou Xue didn’t manage to catch her.
“That was dangerous,” Hou Xue said quietly, lowering her hand as Jiang Qing landed.
“Nah, the platform’s not that high,” Jiang Qing replied, then gently placed her fingers at the corner of Hou Xue’s lips. “You have such a beautiful smile.”
She didn’t know why she did it—she just knew she loved that smile too much.
Otherwise, why would she throw away her whole “Miss Jiang” persona like some impulsive idiot, in front of so many people?
Hou Xue didn’t dodge.
Jiang Qing’s touch barely grazed her lips, but even that brought a soft shiver.
She pulled her hand back and scratched her neck, eyes darting away with an awkward grin.
She could still feel the warmth on her fingertips. Then suddenly, her smile froze—her eyes snapped to the stands above.
Sh1t.
Jiang Qing stepped to the side, trying to block Hou Xue from view. But it was a useless move—too little, too late.
He had seen her.
Those eyes, now fixed on Hou Xue, were filled with a very clear intent.
He had seen her.
In the original novel, the first time Nie Rui laid eyes on Hou Xue, his mind had been full of filthy thoughts—and he acted on them. Repeatedly.
Jiang Qing placed a hand on Hou Xue’s shoulder, exhaling.
Nie Rui had seen her.
She was starting to panic.
She grabbed Hou Xue’s hand and walked off without giving Nie Rui a chance to say anything more.
“Teacher, I’m not feeling well. I’m heading to the nurse’s office,” she said, her face pale—playing the part flawlessly.
She’d been too careless.
She never imagined she’d fail to even prevent their first meeting.
She had always known—deep down—this place wasn’t some made-up novel world. It had its own fixed plot.
And thinking back, Nie Rui was supposed to meet Hou Xue around this time.
Jiang Qing was frustrated to the point of losing her mind, dragging Hou Xue toward the school building.
Hou Xue followed quietly, sensing her agitation but not understanding the reason.
She didn’t know who that boy on the platform was, but she definitely felt the way he had looked at her.
Like garbage.
Jiang Qing stopped walking.
It was class time, and they were at a quiet stairwell—no one around. A blind spot for the security cameras.
The regret Hou Xue had felt earlier was suddenly wiped away.
Jiang Qing hugged her, resting her chin on Hou Xue’s shoulder, the tip of her nose barely an inch from her hair.
Hou Xue wanted to wrap her arms around Jiang Qing too, but halfway through the motion, she hesitated again—arms left hovering in the air.
“What’s wrong?” Hou Xue asked.
Lately, Jiang Qing had noticed that Hou Xue was becoming softer.
Indulgent. Always indulging her.
How could she keep this softness?
“Actually, I…” Jiang Qing started, but her voice faltered. Her arms tightened around Hou Xue.
“Hm?”
She couldn’t speak.
She’d almost told Hou Xue the truth—that she wasn’t from this world. But just as the words reached her lips, it felt like someone clutched her heart.
So, she couldn’t, could she? Jiang Qing gave a bitter smile.
“…Then don’t ever leave me,” she whispered, burying herself in Hou Xue’s embrace, her nose filled with the scent of her.
Clean. A faint, elegant fragrance.
So light that Jiang Qing could only smell it at this distance.
She wasn’t afraid of Nie Rui.
She was afraid of the story—the parts she couldn’t remember. The parts she might not be able to change.
The danger might not stop with Hou Xue.
But right now—she felt at peace.
“Okay.”
Because Hou Xue had agreed to her unreasonable demand. Because those hands, previously hesitant, now rested gently on her back—right over her shoulder blades, just like that day.
Hou Xue suddenly remembered hearing something once: this was where angels left scars after their wings were torn away.
Jiang Qing’s shoulder blades were sharply defined. In this posture, they looked like wings about to spread.
And at that moment, Jiang Qing still didn’t know—
Hou Xue had already taken her first step toward a fate she couldn’t return from.