I Became the Female Lead’s Current Obsession - Chapter 26
Hou Xue stood at the doorway, one hand casually tucked into her pocket. Her posture was relaxed, yet her back remained perfectly straight.
As Jiang Qing approached, Hou Xue turned to look at her, a faint smile playing on her lips.
She had started smiling at herself more often these days.
Jiang Qing suddenly noticed this.
Hou Xue didn’t seem affected at all—on the contrary, she looked like she was in a good mood.
That realization made Jiang Qing feel defeated. She had always thought her acting skills were decent. Back in university, she’d performed numerous times in the drama club. Playing the part of a “scheming antagonist” should’ve been easy for her.
Yet Hou Xue had shown no reaction at all—so much so that Jiang Qing didn’t even get a chance to gracefully offer an out or explanation.
“Are we going anywhere else?” Hou Xue asked—an unusual move for her to speak first.
“Where do you want to go?” Jiang Qing replied instinctively and regretted it immediately. That line shattered her entire persona.
Hou Xue looked at her and said gently, “Then let’s go home, okay?”
The phrase “Let’s go home” hit Jiang Qing harder than she expected. Her eyelids trembled slightly, and she found herself unable to refuse Hou Xue.
“…Okay.”
The two hailed a cab by the street.
Truth be told, Jiang Qing didn’t want to be outdoors at all. Her oversized black coat was made of heat-absorbing fabric. With the zipper pulled all the way up, it didn’t matter how breezy her lower half was—she was roasting inside.
Her outfit did attract attention. As soon as the driver, a typically chatty type, saw her, he commented, “Miss, why are you dressed like that in this heat? Zipped all the way up, aren’t you dying in there?”
Sitting in the front seat with the air conditioning blasting, Jiang Qing stretched out her legs. She was tall and didn’t quite fit comfortably in the front.
“Yeah, it’s sweltering,” she replied while glancing at Hou Xue through the rearview mirror. Hou Xue was seated in the back, quietly watching the scenery.
She seemed to have a sixth sense when it came to Jiang Qing. Whether it was back at the door or now as Jiang Qing looked up at her, Hou Xue always seemed to sense her gaze.
Her stepsister’s expression was neutral—perhaps out of consideration for the driver.
Hou Xue wanted to smile but didn’t dare make it too obvious.
She didn’t want to truly provoke Jiang Qing—it wasn’t worth the risk.
The reason Hou Xue didn’t react to Jiang Qing’s attempts at intimidation was simple: she didn’t regret biting her.
She might avoid discussing it, but that didn’t mean she thought it was wrong.
If given the chance again, she would bite without hesitation.
It was an ingrained instinct—something she had accepted long ago.
That bite mark on Jiang Qing was Hou Xue’s way of leaving a claim—a declaration of ownership.
If she could, she’d take Jiang Qing to get a tattoo, something permanent and irremovable.
Meanwhile, Jiang Qing made casual small talk with the driver, shifting topics from the weather to the city’s economic development.
“Hey, you know, some of those wealthy families in our city really give off that powerful novel-family vibe,” the driver said with admiration. “The amount they contribute in a month compared to what I earn—can’t even compare. I heard on the radio that one of the top families is the Jiang family, right? Their villa is pretty close to where you live too.”
Jiang Qing didn’t feel like engaging and mumbled vaguely, “…Maybe, I’m not sure.”
“Yeah, I suppose you’re just a student—wouldn’t know about this stuff.”
Jiang Qing nodded quickly, hoping the topic would die. Her shame was suffocating.
She hadn’t expected people in this world to react so normally to such exaggerated novel-like tropes. It made her feel like this world wasn’t so different from reality after all.
At least she was relieved that she hadn’t given her actual address when she arrived. Instead, she chose a high-end residential area near the Jiang family villa—thus avoiding the embarrassment of being outed as the
Jiang family’s second daughter.
Once the car pulled away, Hou Xue remarked, “Second Miss sure is interesting.”
Jiang Qing maintained her cold persona—frown, blank face, and all. “What?”
“Second Miss was just lecturing me about identity, and now you’re already ashamed of yours?”
“…You have too much free time,” Jiang Qing replied. “Whether I like it or not doesn’t change the fact—I am the Jiang family’s second daughter.”
Hou Xue’s expression lost its amusement. She took a step forward and said, “Oh? Are you really?”
Jiang Qing paused, narrowed her eyes, and answered, “Of course. What else would I be?”
From the day she arrived, Jiang Qing had accepted this identity. She was Jiang Qing, the second daughter of the Jiang family. No changing that. So, for however long she was Jiang Qing, she’d take responsibility for the character’s past mistakes—and she wouldn’t deny her name.
Hou Xue said nothing more.
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Jiang Qing stuffed two heavy suitcases into the back of the car with help from her brother, Jiang Xing.
“What on earth did you pack, Sis?” he asked casually.
“…Nothing much,” she mumbled, touching her nose.
Compared to Jiang Qing’s loaded luggage, Hou Xue’s suitcase was laughably small—barely packed at all.
Xu Miao messaged Jiang Qing saying she and her cousin were already en route.
The six of them would travel in two groups.
Xu Miao and her cousin would leave from the Xu family home. The other four would ride together and meet up at the resort.
“We’re picking up that computer guy next,” Jiang Xing said after everyone was settled in the car.
Jiang Qing responded mildly, “Right, we should thank her properly.”
Even though the computer plan hadn’t gone exactly how she hoped.
She pulled her collar higher and leaned against the car door, watching the scenery.
“I thought you hated turtlenecks?” Jiang Xing asked, watching her through the rearview mirror.
That was one of the rare things she shared with the original Jiang Qing.
“…Why does everyone keep asking me that?” she muttered.
Hou Xue smirked quietly beside her.
This time, Jiang Qing saw it.
She’s still laughing?
Jiang Qing’s lips were hidden under the collar as she whispered, “So shameless.”
Jiang Xing didn’t catch that comment. He kept sneaking glances at the back seat, wondering why the two of them—once inseparable—were suddenly sitting so far apart.
Interesting, he thought. Looks like Sis is finally over Hou Xue. Guess it really was just a fling. Good.
As for the reason? He didn’t care. As long as she could still course-correct, nothing else mattered.
________________________________________
At the bus stop stood a tall, lanky guy with headphones on, looking dead tired like he could fall asleep on his feet.
Jiang Xing honked the horn and yelled, “Stop standing there like a tree—get in!”
Yuan Yu glanced around, then slowly dragged his suitcase over.
“Why are we leaving so early?” he asked, groggy.
“Better to get there early. If you’re tired, you can nap once we arrive,” Jiang Xing replied cheerfully.
Yuan Yu climbed into the front seat and politely greeted Jiang Qing.
Jiang Xing played the middleman, introducing everyone. Jiang Qing and Yuan Yu exchanged a brief smile, but from the moment he turned around, she felt something was… off.
She couldn’t pinpoint exactly what.
Jiang Xing drove them out of the city.
The wind roared past their ears, flooding the car with a refreshing breeze. Above them, the sky was clear and cloudless. Jiang Qing leaned back and looked up at the slow-moving clouds, her mind blank.
Everything just felt… right.
This moment, right now—felt good.
The wind blasted her face, but instead of feeling more awake, drowsiness crept in. As she prepared to nap, she told Jiang Xing, “If you get tired, I can drive.”
“Sure,” he replied. He had only learned last night that his sister could even drive.
It had shocked him—Jiang Qing had always played the perfect daughter in front of Jiang Bin. Not only did she avoid all bad habits, she gave off the impression of being pure and studious.
Jiang Xing had doubted her at first.
He knew his sister. She was always home on time, and aside from studying, all she did was chat with girlfriends in their group chats. Only during vacations would she go shopping.
When she saw his skeptical look, Jiang Qing couldn’t help but sigh.
In the end, she had to prove herself by driving a loop around the neighborhood—only then did she gain the approval of her little brother, who was great at everything except studying.
Yuan Yu poked Jiang Xing and said, “Wasn’t your sister a top student at Yangrui? Always studying?”
“…Please don’t remind me,” Jiang Xing groaned.
She had changed a lot recently—but her grades hadn’t slipped. So, this is what a real overachiever looks like?
“Remember what I said last time?”
“What?”
“I wanted to work hard and transfer to Yangrui.”
“Yeah, and?”
“Now I’m thinking it’s not worth it.”
“You change your mind faster than flipping a page.”
As they bantered up front, Hou Xue turned to look at Jiang Qing in the backseat.
Jiang Qing was wearing sunglasses, likely to block the light.
The glasses were thin but had oversized frames, covering half her face.
Hou Xue found them annoying. Through her peripheral vision, she saw Jiang Xing and Yuan Yu still bickering.
She kept her breathing steady and reached out.
Jiang Qing’s eyes flicked open.
Her sleep was shallow—she could immediately sense something approaching. The moment she opened her eyes, the gray-tinted world had a sudden splash of white. Bright. Distracting.
What the hell?
She grabbed that bit of white.
It was soft—and firm.
Jiang Qing tugged, trying to reveal what was behind the white blur. But then something blocked her vision completely.
Because the gray-tinted world turned black.
“Hey,” she croaked, still half-asleep, confused about whether she was dreaming. Her voice was hoarse. “Get off.”
“…You’re the one who wouldn’t let me go. Now you’re backing out?” Hou Xue whispered into her ear, leaning in.
The wind carried her words, and Jiang Qing froze.
She remembered that gym class—that reckless, too-intimate hug when no one was around.
“Sh1t!” Jiang Xing suddenly yelled from the front seat, snapping Jiang Qing out of her daze. “Hou Xue! What the hell are you doing?!”
Fully awake now, Jiang Qing sat up in the cramped car, adjusted her sunglasses, and stared at Hou Xue through the dark lenses.
Hou Xue returned to her seat without looking back.
Yuan Yu, unaware of their complicated dynamic, patted the fuming Jiang Xing and said, “Eyes on the road, man. Drive properly.”
Jiang Xing scoffed, reconsidering—maybe transferring to Yangrui was a good idea after all.
“How much longer?” Jiang Qing asked, trying to ease the tension.
“Forty minutes,” Yuan Yu replied after checking the GPS.
“You tired, Xiao Xing? Want me to drive?” she asked, leaning on her hand.
“No need. We’re almost there—too much hassle to switch now,” Jiang Xing replied.
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The international resort emphasized “being close to nature.” But it wasn’t some remote mountain spot. In fact, it was quite accessible and large in scale, occupying the entire hillside and the river region below.
As soon as Jiang Qing stepped out of the car, her head stopped spinning and her vision cleared. With the fresh mountain air and birds chirping in the forest, the best part was—there were barely any people.
After all, it was still in its trial opening phase, and tickets were hard to get. So even during summer break, it was nearly empty.
Just because there weren’t many people around didn’t mean the place was empty.
Jiang Qing spotted two cars parked not far from the lot. She wandered a little, then took out her phone to call Xu Miao and ask where she was.
Five minutes later, Xu Miao’s car pulled into the resort parking lot.
She stepped out and helped her younger cousin out of the vehicle, greeting Jiang Qing’s group and making introductions one by one.
Jiang Qing found the scene amusing. Xu Miao’s little cousin was shy and sweet—like a timid bunny. She imagined that if the girl had a pair of rabbit ears, they’d be drooping bashfully in front of her eyes.
Amused by the thought, she stared at the girl’s brows with a faint smile.
“Hello, my name is Sun Qian,” the cousin said, stepping forward with a hand extended toward Hou Xue. Her eyes sparkled with a mixture of nervousness and admiration as she tried to greet the cool, distant-looking beauty.
But just before Hou Xue could respond, she noticed Jiang Qing’s faint smile.
In the next instant, her expression shifted. She went cold, her face blank as she deliberately tucked her hands halfway into her pockets, making it abundantly clear she had no intention of shaking hands with Sun Qian.
The rejection was unmistakable.
Jiang Qing raised her eyebrows in surprise.
Sun Qian looked startled. Her face turned a soft pink as her big eyes darted toward Jiang Qing for help. She looked like she might cry.
Such a child, Jiang Qing thought, amused.
Naturally, she reached for Sun Qian’s hand instead. “I’m Jiang Qing,” she said gently. “Miao Miao and I are very good friends.”
“You’re Sister Jiang Qing?” Sun Qian’s eyes lit up instantly. She held Jiang Qing’s hand tightly and beamed. “Cousin told me so much about you on the way here. I didn’t expect you to be this beautiful in person!”
Jiang Qing chuckled. “You’re the cute one, Xiao Qian.”
She hadn’t expected the little rabbit to be so affectionate, but her smile never wavered.
Hou Xue simply stood off to the side, watching Jiang Qing’s smile quietly.
By then, Xu Miao and Jiang Xing had finished their conversation and walked over. Seeing her cousin clinging to Jiang Qing’s hand, Xu Miao instinctively glanced at Hou Xue nearby.
For reasons she couldn’t quite explain, guilt welled up in her—as if she had let a mischievous child loose, causing unintended trouble. She quickly stepped forward to separate them.
“Sister Qing is so pretty,” Sun Qian gushed when she saw Xu Miao, still holding Jiang Qing’s hand. “I like her so much!” Then her gaze shifted to Hou Xue. “This sister is also very beautiful… but I don’t know her name yet…” Her voice trailed off as she looked down shyly.
“Her name is Hou Xue,” Jiang Qing answered for her.
“Hou Xue…” Sun Qian repeated softly, glancing back at Xu Miao.
“Yes,” Jiang Qing said again before she could speak. “Miao Miao should’ve told you—she’s my sister.”
As she spoke, she subtly shifted her posture, stepping slightly in front of Hou Xue so that her shoulder blocked part of the view. The gesture was instinctive, protective—perhaps even unconscious.
Sun Qian nodded. “Right… Cousin said she’s your stepsister, isn’t that so?”
Xu Miao let out a dry laugh. “Haha… Yeah.”
Upon hearing that, Hou Xue turned away.
She couldn’t tell whether she wanted to be the “sister” Jiang Qing just claimed her as—or if she was only ever meant to be the “nominal stepsister.”