I Became the Female Lead’s Current Obsession - Chapter 8

Jiang Qing returned home with an involuntary smile tugging at the corners of her lips—her errand had gone smoothly, and she had even gained an unexpected surprise.

As the door opened, Hou Xue glanced sideways at her.

What’s she so happy about?

Jiang Qing had been visibly unsettled earlier, likely over what had happened that afternoon. Her sudden departure probably meant she had gone to confront Jiang Xing on someone’s behalf. Judging by her satisfied expression now, it seemed she had accomplished what she set out to do.

A bit excessive, though, Hou Xue thought.

She had originally assumed that the group of people who showed up earlier were summoned by Jiang Qing.

That assumption wasn’t unreasonable—her detestable stepsister showing up just in time to rescue her from danger certainly suggested either a carefully laid plan or secret tailing. It all seemed too convenient.

But that had been Hou Xue’s initial thought. She had since dismissed the possibility.

Because she had finally confirmed one thing: this person in front of her could not possibly be her stepsister.

Jiang Qing might make some harmless changes, sure. But to risk herself for someone else like that? The odds were close to zero.

Yet this “Jiang Qing” had done exactly that.

And such a result wasn’t necessarily a good thing.

One arrogant, overbearing stepsister was gone, only to be replaced by a mysterious woman with unclear intentions—possibly even more dangerous.

Hou Xue couldn’t figure her out. This Jiang Qing kept doing inexplicably kind things for her—acts of goodwill that seemed pointless on the surface.

She still wore Jiang Qing’s face, and probably had an identical body too.

With striking features, sharp contours, and a tall, commanding presence, this version of Jiang Qing was far more expressive and animated than the original.

Hou Xue noticed that she only showed this gentleness to her. Toward others, her attitude was even colder than the Jiang Qing she remembered.

Her performance was full of holes, and her excuses were riddled with lies.

This “Jiang Qing” had exposed herself far too quickly. She had done too many things she shouldn’t have done.

She shouldn’t have offered to walk to and from school with her. She shouldn’t have sternly warned Jiang Xing. She definitely shouldn’t have risked everything to save her.

If she truly wanted to hide her identity, the smartest move would’ve been to stand aside and observe.

She should have remained an outsider—not someone who stood here now, smiling brightly just for resolving someone else’s trouble.

And yet, all of this only made Hou Xue more curious. What was the reason hidden beneath all this?

Hou Xue rested her forearm on the back of the chair, picked up one of Jiang Qing’s test papers, and said, “Just doing exercises won’t cut it. At your current level, getting back to your previous academic standing by finals will be tough.”

Jiang Qing blinked, clearly confused, but instinctively responded, “I’ll do my best.”

The moment she walked through the door, she had felt like a student being scolded by a strict teacher.

Hou Xue spoke gently. “So my suggestion is—I’ll tutor you.” She put the paper down. “Let’s set it for every Saturday after school and Sunday afternoons. How does that sound?”

Jiang Qing stood frozen, visibly shocked. For a moment, she thought she might have misheard.

She had just gone out to run an errand—how did her “tutoring meter” suddenly max out? Was this Hou Xue’s indirect way of saying thank you?

The female lead really does get her.

Seeing Jiang Qing’s prolonged silence, Hou Xue raised an eyebrow. “If you’re unwilling, then forget it.”

“No, no, no!” Jiang Qing quickly stepped forward, seemingly trying to grab Hou Xue’s hand, but retracted it the moment it seemed too forward. “Thank you! Really, thank you so much for taking the time out of your busy schedule to help me.”

This happiness was too sudden. Jiang Qing hadn’t even prepared mentally. Now she just felt like lighting firecrackers in celebration.

Come to think of it, the air quality in this world didn’t seem bad. Maybe she really could take the female lead out to set off fireworks someday. Back in her old life inside the Fifth Ring, that was never allowed.

Hou Xue didn’t like owing favors—especially when she knew exactly what Jiang Qing wanted.

Choosing to tutor her was the best way to repay those small acts of kindness—something time-consuming and effortful, yet practical.

But what Hou Xue wouldn’t admit was that she genuinely enjoyed watching Jiang Qing wag her metaphorical tail like a happy puppy when she got something she wanted.

“We’ll start tomorrow. Go get some rest for now. You won’t gain much studying in this state,” Hou Xue said, packing her bag and getting ready to leave.

Jiang Qing followed her to the door and waved goodbye, looking a little silly.

Hou Xue found the gesture amusing and couldn’t help but smile—but Jiang Qing didn’t see it.

________________________________________

Morning light spilled softly across the sky, streaking it with golden rays.

Despite it being a rare holiday, Jiang Qing woke up just as early as usual, before the sun had fully risen.

This was her first weekend since transmigrating into the book.

She had originally planned to sleep in until late morning, rewarding herself for her hard work—but this body’s internal clock was ridiculously dedicated. Once past its usual waking hour, sleep simply refused to return.

Helpless, Jiang Qing got up, washed her face, and wrapped herself in a blanket as she sat on the bed. The cool morning breeze filtered in as she stared at the glowing clouds outside.

The colors were warm, but the chill still lingered in the air.

After a long while, and for reasons unknown, a wave of drowsiness finally began to settle in.

Knock, knock.

Jiang Qing flinched.

Just as the sky began to brighten, someone knocked on her door. The drowsiness she had just started to feel vanished instantly. Frowning, she turned to look.

Normally, the servants wouldn’t disturb her on a Sunday morning.

Confused but curious, she got up and opened the door slightly.

Once she saw who it was, she opened it wider.

“I thought we agreed on the afternoon?” Jiang Qing asked, puzzled.

“Mm,” Hou Xue lifted the bags in her hands slightly. “These are for the afternoon. If you’re free, you can start reviewing the key topics now.”

The door opened fully. Hou Xue caught sight of the blanket loosely wrapped around Jiang Qing, under which was a white cotton nightgown that reached her calves.

She glanced briefly at the exposed patch of pale skin before quickly looking away.

Jiang Qing took one of the bags and peeked inside—no books, but several plastic food containers.

“What’s this?” she asked, confused.

Without answering, Hou Xue walked past her and entered the room. She set down the bag on the desk, pulled out a notebook, and finally said in a quiet voice, “Breakfast.”

Even Hou Xue herself questioned her decision to stop after overhearing a servant mention Jiang Qing hadn’t eaten yet.

Even on an unusually cold morning, a woman who was so unlike her former self wouldn’t fall apart from missing a bowl of congee.

But Hou Xue never did things that went against her heart—and this time, she wanted to do this unnecessary thing. So she did.

Jiang Qing widened her eyes, her fingers brushing over the bag.

It was still warm.

Unexpected.

This didn’t feel like something the cold and aloof heroine would do.

It was too gentle. Almost like a facade.

And yet, the warmth lingering on her fingertips chased away the morning chill completely.

“Thank you.” Jiang Qing felt a pleasant warmth inside her. But after saying her thanks, she didn’t press further. She could tell Hou Xue didn’t want to dwell on it.

She sat down, opened the container, and took a sip of the congee.

The warmth spread from her throat to her limbs, and the smooth, delicate texture made her eyes light up.

“It’s really good,” she said, spoon in hand.

Hou Xue’s expression softened ever so slightly. She arranged the notebooks neatly. Then a gust of wind from outside flipped through the pages. She walked to the balcony, closed the door, and made her way to the exit.

It seemed she didn’t plan to stay long—just dropping off the materials.

Jiang Qing hurried to swallow her bite, fanning her burning tongue, and called after her, “See you this afternoon, then.”

“…Mm.”

The door closed.

She thought Hou Xue might stay a while.

Jiang Qing picked up a dumpling, thoughts swirling.

________________________________________

Time flew, and within a few hours, Jiang Qing had only made it through three core subjects and one biology section.

Like most people, she started with the subjects she liked. Time was tight, so she had to be strategic.

Surprisingly, she found herself deeply absorbed.

Hou Xue’s handwriting was bold yet elegant—pleasing to the eye. The notes were clearly organized and even included classic examples, like a carefully curated study guide.

Inexplicably, Jiang Qing found herself occasionally running her fingers over the inked characters, imagining Hou Xue hunched over the desk as she wrote.

Even during lunch, the only thing in her head was Hou Xue’s beautiful handwriting.

When Hou Xue came out later, she was still wearing that same white blouse.

Does she not have any other clothes? Jiang Qing wondered.

The only difference was her jeans—a light blue pair with stylish rips.

She hadn’t looked closely earlier, but now her eyes were glued to her legs.

Nice jeans. They were snug, perfectly outlining Hou Xue’s long, slender legs.

Enticing, really.

They exchanged just a glance as they returned to Jiang Qing’s room—no words, just silent understanding.

It didn’t mean much to the two of them—they were here to study, after all—but to the servants who only saw the surface, it was a shock.

They knew Jiang Qing’s status in the Jiang family. Anyone could see how she treated Hou Xue. Naturally, the servants, always reading faces to survive, chose to ignore Hou Xue, who had no real standing.

But just because they didn’t treat her like a proper young lady didn’t mean they disliked her. In fact, quite a few found her admirable.

Still, Jiang Qing’s recent behavior had them completely baffled. And with the door always shut tight whenever she brought Hou Xue inside, no one knew what went on behind it.

But after Hou Xue brought her breakfast that morning, then joined her again at lunch, the servants finally came to a conclusion:

“Looks like the second young miss has finally started ordering Hou Xue around.”

“Poor Hou Xue… stuck with someone like her…”

They murmured as they glanced at the tightly closed door.

Little did they know, the room inside was peaceful and quiet.

There was no drama, no cruel noble girl bullying a stubborn heroine—just the two of them sitting upright, especially Jiang Qing, who was seriously and sincerely reporting her progress.

“I only reviewed Chinese, math, English, and biology,” Jiang Qing said sheepishly. “And even though I went through them, I’m not really sure how much I retained…”

Hou Xue nodded. “We’ll know once you start doing exercises—whether you understand it or not.”

She then reached under the desk and, to Jiang Qing’s amazement, pulled out a plastic bag as if by magic.

“I left it here this morning,” Hou Xue explained, pulling out several packets, sorting them, and placing them before Jiang Qing.

“Today’s task is simple. Two sheets per set—just finish these.”

Jiang Qing: “…”

“Of course,” Hou Xue added softly, a teasing note in her voice, “Miss Jiang is also free to decline.”