I Became the Female Lead’s Current Obsession - Chapter 46

She didn’t dare to ask.

She feared the answer would be someone unfamiliar—and even more so, someone she knew.

What kind of women had been around Jiang Qing?

“She’s really pretty. The kind of beauty you can’t forget after just one glance. Surprisingly adorable, too. When she smiles, it’s especially beautiful.”

“I like teasing her.”

“Honestly, I think she’s been better to me than I’ve been to her.”

“But we can’t be together right now… too much mess to clean up.”

“We’ll just take things one step at a time.”

None of these lines seemed to fit Hou Xue exactly—yet none could completely rule her out either.

Jiang Qing’s words were vague, never laid out plainly.

No surprise there. Jiang Qing herself was a walking mystery.

Where she came from, what she was doing here, how she looked exactly like the Jiang Qing from before… there was just too much Hou Xue didn’t know. Deep down, she believed that if she could unravel the mystery of Jiang Qing’s origins, she might not feel so distant from her anymore.

Night after night, she dreamed of Jiang Qing—always beyond reach, coming close and drifting away.

Hou Xue admitted it to herself: she was enamored with this enigmatic and captivating Jiang Qing. Addicted to the way Jiang Qing spoiled her, to the attention she gave.

Being special meant being in danger. And yet, she didn’t want to resist it. She didn’t try to resist it.

So Hou Xue said, “I think so too.”

“Feelings are so hard to manage.”

“Well then, I wish you luck—go win her heart.”

“I’m exhausted. Heading to bed.”

“Good night.”

“Good night.”

Turns out, no matter how chaotic the day before had been, the sun still rises the next morning.

The routine was the same—except for Jiang Yan, who sat deliberately to Hou Xue’s right.

Jiang Yan had been trying to strike up a conversation, but Hou Xue only responded in monosyllables. Perhaps finally realizing she was being brushed off, Jiang Yan fell silent by the end of breakfast.

While Hou Xue’s coldness soothed Jiang Qing’s mood, the sight still annoyed her.

Not because she was jealous. She just found it irritating.

But Jiang Yan’s behavior was clearly abnormal—Jiang Qing knew she’d have to keep watching her closely.

At least the ride to school was uneventful. The Jiang family had plenty of cars, and this one was specifically designated for Jiang Qing. Jiang Yan had her own vehicle and a different destination. She couldn’t make a fuss over it.

Jiang Qing had considered bringing Jiang Yan up to Hou Xue, but Hou Xue didn’t seem in the mood to talk. So she let it go.

“Even if I manage to get Jiang Qing out of the picture, Hou Xue still won’t care about me, right?”

As soon as Jiang Yan got in the car, she started venting to her system. Getting no response for so long was deeply frustrating.

“Hmm.”

“Any updates from the other side?”

“Still under review. Probably a lot to process. Plus, time flows differently here than in the outside world. Be patient.”

043’s tone was gentle—clearly trying to comfort its host.

“Well, she’s going to leave eventually, so no point rushing things.”

Jiang Yan had already planned with 043 the moment she realized the situation.

Plan A: approach Jiang Qing directly and report if anything unusual happened.

Plan B: remove Jiang Qing by marrying her off—after all, that was part of Jiang Qing’s original character arc. Wang Shicheng was one candidate; the original storyline had also included Nie Rui.

As for persuading Jiang Bin—Jiang Yan had drawn a lucky reward after completing her last world: a one-time-use Control Card. According to 043, she’d hit the jackpot: an A-grade card that allowed her to manipulate the behavior of any non-main character once, without disrupting their original character setting.

043 and Jiang Yan disagreed on how to proceed. 043 wanted to wait for instructions from above. Jiang Yan didn’t. She insisted on a double safety net.

Jiang Yan was extremely competitive. From the moment she entered this world, she’d seen Hou Xue as hers. Completing the world and the missions felt to her like winning a dating sim. Each main character was someone waiting for her to “unlock.” That Hou Xue would develop independent feelings for someone else? Unacceptable. It triggered a deep sense of rivalry—as if someone was trying to steal her possession.

At the 100-day countdown ceremony, Yang Rui handed out high school entrance exam calendars to each class. Jiang Qing stood on the field, watching the school leaders cut the ceremonial ribbon. The whole scene was eerily similar to her last time doing this in senior year.

Every day, someone updated the countdown on the poster. Under constant scrutiny, time slipped away nonetheless. The black numbers on the pink paper grew smaller and smaller. Weekly exams dulled the students’ senses.

Jiang Qing’s scores had stabilized. Getting into Ting University alongside Hou Xue no longer felt out of reach. Xu Miao was doing well too, though she was considering studying abroad—partly to escape her controlling family and enjoy more freedom in college.

Despite her serious expression, Jiang Qing felt surprisingly calm inside as the days ticked down.

She had done her best—no regrets. Besides, with her rich-girl identity, she wasn’t too worried. The Jiang family wouldn’t go bankrupt until her mid-twenties. For now, she was still the Second Miss Jiang.

More than the exams, she feared something else.

A gut feeling told her: on the day of the college entrance exam, Hou Xue would make everything between them clear.

The real plot of When the Snow Stops—the business drama it was meant to be—didn’t begin until after Hou Xue finished the exam that summer.

By then, Jiang Qing would have no excuse to refuse her.

They’d be adults. No more youthful confusion to blame. No more hiding behind vague boundaries.

And could she really bear it? To push away the person she liked?

Jiang Qing was deep in thought, unaware of someone approaching her. Suddenly, an arm wrapped around her waist. She turned—and saw the very person she’d just been thinking about. Her eyes darted away instinctively.

“What’s wrong?” Hou Xue also glanced at the countdown, her hand still resting on Jiang Qing’s waist as if the gesture were completely natural. “Time flies. Only sixty-one days left until the exam.”

“Yeah,” Jiang Qing replied.

“And only two days until your birthday,” Hou Xue added, leaning in to whisper in her ear.

“Huh?” Jiang Qing blinked, confused. Her birthday wasn’t for over a week. But she quickly caught on. “Right, Jiang Xing asked me what I wanted a few days ago. I’ve been so buried in studying I nearly forgot.”

“Is that so.” A flicker of scrutiny passed through Hou Xue’s gaze, though she didn’t voice her suspicion aloud.

Like: When exactly is your real birthday?

“Let’s go,” Jiang Qing said, subtly pulling away. “Don’t tell me you’re here to ask what gift I want, too?”

“Would that be such a bad thing?” Hou Xue retracted her hand, walking beside her. “So, Miss Jiang, what would you like from me?”

Jiang Qing’s lips threatened to curl up, but she forced herself to stay composed. She scolded, “Snow, when did you start learning to flirt instead of focusing on your studies?”

“You don’t like it?”

Hou Xue meant it sincerely. She had never joked with Jiang Qing—not really. Every word came straight from her heart.

Jiang Qing paused. Then replied openly: “I like it.”

She liked the cold version of Hou Xue. She liked the teasing version. The frowning version. The version that shielded her from the sun. The version that smiled at her.

She liked all of Hou Xue. Somewhere along the way, she had fallen hard.

The real Jiang Qing’s birthday fell on a rare Sunday. At Yangrui High School, senior students only got Sunday afternoons off. That’s when the birthday banquet was scheduled.

Jiang Qing hated the idea of this commercialized coming-of-age banquet, but there was nothing she could do.

On her precious afternoon off, she wore a dark red gown and followed Jiang Bin around the venue, greeting guests.

Technically, it was her first time “networking.” Last time she had stormed out halfway. This time, as the birthday girl, she had no choice but to raise her glass to every man, woman, and child in attendance.

As Jiang Bin’s ideal son-in-law, Wang Shicheng naturally made an appearance. But Jiang Bin didn’t announce their engagement publicly.

To Jiang Qing, that was already the best outcome she could hope for after exhausting herself arguing.

The engagement was just a verbal agreement. No certificate. It could be delayed indefinitely. Once the time was right, it could be called off.

Besides, Jiang Qing had leverage on the Wang family—though she didn’t yet have the critical evidence she needed.

Hou Xue wore a blue gown, but she didn’t stick close to Jiang Qing. She didn’t see herself as part of the Jiang family and had no reason to mingle. But her eyes never left Jiang Qing, following her red silhouette through the crowd like a butterfly.

“Can I sit next to you?”

Hou Xue didn’t respond. She popped another piece of candy into her mouth.

Jiang Qing had given it to her before the banquet, worried she’d be bored and unwilling to eat anything served. A small treat, just to pass the time.

“Xue Xue, why are you always so cold to me?” Jiang Yan sat beside her, following Hou Xue’s gaze.

Still, Hou Xue ignored her.

Jiang Yan had been back in the country for months. After the initial awkwardness, she had kept a low profile. She still tried to get close to Hou Xue—but no longer pushed as aggressively.

“I wasn’t sure whether to tell you. But since someone else is here today too, I don’t think I should keep this from you.”

That finally got a reaction out of Hou Xue.

“Jiang Qing is engaged. Did you know?”

Hou Xue looked at Jiang Yan—expression unreadable.

She wanted to say: I knew.

She hated Jiang Yan’s superior tone, like she understood Jiang Qing better.

“That’s all? So cold…” Jiang Yan was caught off guard.

“Maybe she just doesn’t trust you,” 043 offered, glancing at the 0% favorability that hadn’t budged in months.

“She’s engaged to Wang Shicheng. Dad made the arrangement months ago. The banquet Jiang Qing attended back then—it was Wang Shicheng’s birthday. The plan is for them to marry after the college entrance exam.” Jiang Yan bit her lip. “I know I’m not the one who should be telling you this, but I didn’t want to see you kept in the dark.”

“You knew you shouldn’t tell me. But you did anyway.” Hou Xue’s meaning was crystal clear. She had no interest in wasting more words.

“She just killed the whole conversation.” Jiang Yan was speechless.

“…” 043 could only fall silent.