I Became the Female Lead’s Current Obsession - Chapter 25
At first, Jiang Qing thought she wouldn’t be able to sleep.
But after returning to her room, taking a shower, rummaging through her closet to find a zip-up athletic jacket with a collar to cover the wound, asking a servant for the first-aid kit, and clumsily treating the bite with iodine, she collapsed into bed and fell asleep almost instantly.
She hadn’t realized how exhausted she truly was—both physically and emotionally.
The next morning, her biological clock woke her up. As a sliver of sunlight slipped through the curtains and landed on her face, she blinked in confusion.
When did she fall asleep?
Jiang Qing sat up casually, but the motion tugged at her wound. She winced, baring her teeth.
It hurt.
That little brat—no, that little wolf—really didn’t hold back.
Holding her neck, Jiang Qing got out of bed and went into the bathroom. After washing up, she stood in front of the mirror and started disinfecting the wound again with a cotton swab and iodine.
“Hss—” she sucked in a sharp breath, the cool air stinging her throat. “What a mess…”
The girl in the mirror had striking, bold features, but her complexion was pale and slightly drained. The bite mark on the right side of her neck stood out sharply against her skin.
The area around the wound was red and swollen from being soaked in water. Some parts were already turning purple. But at least the bleeding had stopped.
Jiang Qing stared into the mirror.
The pain didn’t seem as sharp now.
What had it felt like when Hou Xue bit her?
She couldn’t quite remember.
She reached out and pressed on the wound.
Still not the same as last night.
With that thought, she pressed harder, digging her fingers into it until fresh bl00d welled up. She deliberately aggravated the wound, grinding into it until the pain from last night surged back—only then did she feel slightly satisfied. She rinsed the bl00d off her fingers under cold water.
Scarlet water spiraled down the drain into the endless darkness.
She would return at least thirty percent of this pain to Hou Xue—minimum.
Jiang Qing gave a short laugh. How childish.
She ended up reapplying medication anyway. There was nothing glamorous about cleaning up after her own irrational behavior.
After exiting the bathroom, Jiang Qing pulled on the same oversized athletic jacket from the night before and zipped it all the way up to cover her neck. The top half felt stifling, so she paired it with knee-length black shorts on the bottom.
Her lips brushed against the cold zipper, catching a faint metallic taste.
When Hou Xue bit her last night… did she also get a taste of her bl00d?
Jiang Qing suddenly wondered—how did Hou Xue manage to stomach the rusted iron tang?
She never found her own train of thought odd, nor did she find such behavior revolting like a normal person might.
Truthfully, Jiang Qing hadn’t been angry. At most, she was confused and dissatisfied.
Confused about why Hou Xue was mad, and why she bit her neck. Dissatisfied with Hou Xue’s attitude—and yes, the bite had really hurt. Plus, the mark was far too conspicuous to hide.
Especially when the servant handed her the first-aid kit last night—the woman’s eyes practically screamed curiosity.
Jiang Qing hated high-collared clothes, let alone zipping one all the way up just to hide her neck. It looked completely out of character. Add to that the fact she’d asked for the kit in the middle of the night, and any one of those details would be enough to stir up gossip among the maids.
The background characters in Waiting for the Snow to Stop were hopeless—all their stat points were maxed out in gossiping and crowding around drama.
No wonder breakfast was so awkward.
Jiang Qing was the only one at the absurdly long dining table.
Her “cheap little brother” had gone out early, and as she expected, Hou Xue didn’t show up.
She took a few angry bites of her sandwich before losing her appetite altogether. Slowly sipping a glass of milk, she finally got up and left once the sandwich had gone cold.
Before going upstairs, she casually tossed a remark to a maid:
“The food’s cold. See if anyone else wants it. If not, throw it out.”
With that, she turned and walked away, not in a hurry to return to her room. Instead, she leaned against the stair rail and stood in the hallway for a while.
Her room was right in front of her. Hou Xue’s was the last door on the right.
She faced her own door, but her eyes lingered on Hou Xue’s tightly shut one.
After about five minutes, Jiang Qing rubbed her temples and went back into her room.
Please. She was an adult—was she really going to be outmaneuvered by a minor?
Some things, when wrong, were just wrong. Without a proper apology, there would be no brushing things off. This wasn’t about whether she was angry—it was about Hou Xue’s attitude toward the incident.
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Hou Xue had worked through the entire night.
These past two years, thanks to scheduling issues, she’d gotten used to staying up late. No matter how tired her body felt, her mind always held out. It was a habit formed over time, not something easily changed.
But today, she didn’t want to be awake. More than anything, she wanted to just close her eyes and leave everything for the next morning.
A rare moment—she was avoiding reality.
Jiang Qing was important enough that Hou Xue instinctively wanted to avoid facing the situation.
But sleep offered no escape from her thoughts. In the end, even avoidance was a luxury she couldn’t afford.
So, she forced herself to focus on work, though the distraction was weak at best—her programming computer, after all, was a gift from Jiang Qing.
“No, for this quarter…”
She was on a call with her team, eyebrows slightly furrowed, her face showing clear signs of fatigue.
Knock, knock.
Someone knocked.
Hou Xue was a bit surprised. She cupped the mic with her hand, paused, then quickly told the person on the line, “I’ll speak with Director Li about it later.”
She hung up and opened the door cautiously, anxiety flickering across her expression.
A servant appeared from behind the door. Hou Xue’s face, which had been somewhat calm, immediately turned dark.
She asked stiffly, “What is it?”
“Second Miss asked me to see if you’ll be joining for breakfast,” the maid replied, a bit wary of Hou Xue’s expression but not obligated to ask further.
“Second Miss?” Hou Xue’s voice rose slightly. “What exactly did she say?”
The maid hesitated, then awkwardly repeated Jiang Qing’s words.
Hou Xue kept her face neutral. “Got it. I’ll come down in a bit. Please warm it up for me.” She turned back inside and headed to the bathroom, staring at her exhausted reflection in the mirror.
She looked like the walking dead.
She scoffed at herself.
But despite taking her time getting ready and stalling downstairs, Jiang Qing never showed up.
Her mood sank further. The food went cold again. She didn’t take a single bite.
Her stomach hurt so much she couldn’t even hold her spoon. She just sat there, dazed.
“Haah…” Hou Xue exhaled, cold sweat dampening her forehead, making her look downright pitiful.
She stood up unsteadily, clutching the banister as she slowly made her way upstairs.
The pain in her stomach made it hard to walk straight. She kept her eyes on the floor—until she saw a pair of familiar slippers.
She looked up, dazed.
Jiang Qing stood there in the same casual outfit from earlier, her neck and chin completely concealed.
“Come with me,” Jiang Qing said coldly, glancing at Hou Xue. “You have ten minutes to change.”
She walked past Hou Xue without stopping.
Hou Xue’s stomach clenched harder. She let out a soft breath, but the person who once couldn’t bear to see her suffer hadn’t heard.
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As Jiang Qing had expected, Hou Xue still wore the same few outfits she rotated through.
Today, they were supposed to go shopping.
Even though something unexpected had happened the night before, it wasn’t enough for Jiang Qing to cancel the plan.
They exchanged no words the entire ride. Jiang Qing was waiting for Hou Xue to speak, but Hou Xue was simply grateful just to be allowed in the same car—she didn’t dare break the silence.
Jiang Qing rolled her eyes internally. Did the girl’s courage reset overnight? She must’ve spent it all yesterday.
Following the memories in her inherited body, Jiang Qing brought Hou Xue to a boutique she was familiar with.
She could’ve just picked some outfits online and had them delivered, but she insisted on bringing Hou Xue here in person.
Call it a mischievous whim—she couldn’t resist.
Pointing at Hou Xue, she said to the sales associate, “Pick out a few outfits for her.”
She glanced at Hou Xue, but her expression remained unreadable.
The shop assistant, familiar with Jiang Qing and always offering VIP treatment to the Jiang family’s second daughter, was quick to flatter: “Wow, Miss Jiang, your friend is stunning! Beautiful people really do keep beautiful company.”
Knowing Jiang Qing’s preferences, the assistant was careful not to overstep. Jiang Qing didn’t lack for anything. The reason she liked shopping here, aside from the brand, was simply that she enjoyed the way the staff spoke.
And this girl really was striking.
The assistant unabashedly let her eyes roam over Hou Xue.
A perfect figure, beautiful bone structure, a flawless face—just standing there, she was like a living work of art.
Yet she was wearing such cheap-looking clothes. It felt like a crime against fashion.
The assistant, thrilled at the chance to style such a model, couldn’t help but reach out to measure and gesture—Hou Xue didn’t resist, but Jiang Qing, standing beside them, was visibly displeased.
When the assistant moved in to touch Hou Xue, Jiang Qing instinctively reached out to stop her. But her hand froze midair, unable to justify the action. She clenched her fist and silently pulled it back.
The assistant didn’t notice, but Hou Xue, whose attention had never left Jiang Qing, caught it instantly.
She smiled slightly—that fleeting moment was the highlight of her entire day.
Buying clothes for Hou Xue was something she would’ve rejected before, but now? Things had changed. She had no right to refuse anymore.
In just a month, the girl who once flat-out rejected everything was already bending her own principles.
The assistant blinked.
She saw the gloomy, beautiful girl… smile!
What was with kids these days? All of them so ridiculously good-looking, with skin so perfect it looked dewy—standing this close was dangerous for her health.
Thankfully, she’d been around Jiang Qing long enough to develop resistance to beauty.
“Ahem, alright,” she said, stepping back. She grabbed a pile of clothes and began matching outfits for Hou Xue. “I’ve styled everything for you. Don’t mix them up, pretty girl! Go on.”
She stuffed the clothes into Hou Xue’s arms and pushed her toward the fitting room.
Just before entering, Hou Xue looked back at Jiang Qing—eyes filled with helplessness and silent pleading.
But Jiang Qing ignored her and looked away.
Don’t think she didn’t know. She was a reader of the original novel, after all.
If anyone could out-act the rest of the cast, it was the female lead. Hou Xue’s performance skills were exceptional even as a teenager.
Jiang Qing had only recently come to terms with it. She used to think “Best Actress” was a title Hou Xue earned as an adult—but no. She’d clearly been born for it.
So, you think it’s fun to toy with me, huh? Well, if I’m supposed to be the “vicious stepsister,” then let’s go all in today.
Some things fall apart the moment you think too much—and the more Jiang Qing thought, the more frustrated she felt, her expression growing colder by the second.
“Who is she, anyway?” the assistant asked innocently, still giddy over getting to dress a real-life goddess.
Jiang Qing answered offhandedly, “Just a classmate.”
If calling her a sister doesn’t sit well, then she’d just be a classmate.
Hou Xue, overhearing from behind the fitting room door, froze as she was adjusting her clothes. Her eyes happened to land on the price tag.
A long string of numbers.
She glanced through the other garments hanging nearby—each more expensive than the last. Her expression darkened slightly.
“Classmate? You’re certainly generous to a classmate,” she said from inside.
This was a high-end boutique meant to serve the elite. By all accounts, someone like her didn’t belong here.
“It’s nothing,” Jiang Qing replied in a deliberately even tone, one she knew Hou Xue could hear. “I just can’t stand seeing her in those clothes. It’s… indecent to take her out dressed like that.”
Before the clerk could respond, the door to the fitting room opened.
Hou Xue stepped out without a word, head slightly bowed, posture relaxed but confident, exuding an effortless grace.
The clerk was momentarily stunned.
The outfit Hou Xue wore was the simplest of the selection—loose, unflattering, chosen for comfort over style. But when she wore it, her natural elegance transformed it into something striking. Her poise lent an air of quiet authority that made her presence impossible to ignore.
The clerk nearly complimented her out loud but held back, recalling Jiang Qing’s earlier remarks. She cast a curious glance at Jiang Qing.
Jiang Qing had always known Hou Xue was a diamond in the rough—flawless even without polish. No matter the setting, she stood out.
And now, seeing her like this, Jiang Qing had only one thought: She needs to be hidden.
“Not good. Try the next one,” Jiang Qing said flatly.
The clerk blinked, startled, but quickly swallowed her words. Better to stay silent.
Hou Xue turned and returned to the fitting room without complaint.
The next outfit was entirely different—bold, high-fashion, and revealing. Most customers lacked the confidence or figure to pull it off, making it one of the shop’s most overlooked pieces.
But not Hou Xue.
She stepped out, and the room seemed to fall silent. She didn’t wear the clothes—the clothes submitted to her. She embodied the designer’s vision: striking, unapologetically beautiful, and out of reach.
Jiang Qing felt her throat tighten and clenched her fists at her sides.
This was dangerous.
With that kind of appearance and aura, Hou Xue could cause chaos just by existing. Jiang Qing instinctively wanted to hide her from every stranger’s gaze—especially the clerk’s, who was practically gawking.
She regretted bringing Hou Xue here.
She should’ve bought everything in advance and let her try them on at home, just for her.
Still, she kept her expression impassive, her voice cool: “Not good enough. Change again.”
The clerk bit her tongue. She was crushed.
Not even this one?
Was this some cruel game? A twisted way to parade a girl through luxury only to reject her again and again? A rich girl’s method of mocking someone beneath her?
But Jiang Qing’s eyes never held mockery. Only a strange kind of protectiveness.
Outfit after outfit, Jiang Qing directed Hou Xue to change. And every time, she rejected them.
The clerk felt like a soldier on a losing battlefield—years of experience wasted. She had painstakingly curated each look with care, hoping to show off her skill. Now, all she had was silent admiration and an aching sense of futility.
At least, she thought, what a show.
“This the last one?” Jiang Qing raised an eyebrow, arms crossed. “Too bad. None of them suit you. Change back.”
Her voice was calm, but inside, she was struggling to suppress the wild thudding of her heart. Hou Xue was lethal. For the good of the public, Jiang Qing thought grimly, she shouldn’t be allowed to walk around like that.
Once Hou Xue returned to change, Jiang Qing turned to the clerk.
“She’ll wait at the entrance,” she said casually. “I’ll take everything she tried on. Send them to the Jiang residence tonight, same as always.”
The clerk blinked. “Ah? Yes! Of course, Miss Jiang.” Her professional training kicked in and she offered a flawless smile.
Jiang Qing nodded with satisfaction, her own smile soft and composed.
In that moment, the clerk could no longer hide her curiosity.
What exactly was the relationship between that stunning “classmate” and Second Miss Jiang?