I Was Just a Scumbag Extra, But She Loved Me Anyway [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 33

Su Chenli waited a while after Pei Nanxu left before taking another elevator downstairs.

The old Su family estate was massive. Even with the system secretly guiding her via navigation, it took her quite a while to find the dining room. Without that help, she might’ve genuinely gotten lost.

The dining room had an extremely high ceiling. A long table stood in the center, surrounded by a dozen chairs. The moment Su Chenli stepped in, it felt like she’d walked onto the set of some period palace drama.

Pei Nanxu was already seated, her eyes downcast, posture calm and respectful. She looked soft-spoken and well-mannered—completely different from the quietly unyielding woman who had stood toe-to-toe with her upstairs moments ago.

Su Chenli couldn’t help but grumble inwardly: Why is the beautiful lady in this world so good at acting?

At the head of the table sat President Su—her so-called “father” in this world. When he saw her enter, he frowned.
“Why are you so late? Didn’t I tell someone to call you a while ago?”

“Oh, I was tidying up a bit.”

Su Chenli thought back to the original host’s personality—bold, defiant, and utterly lacking in decorum—so she casually made up an excuse and walked over to take her seat.

As she rounded the far end of the table and approached the seat beside Pei Nanxu, Su Chenli noticed someone else sitting with their back to the entrance. It was an Omega with striking features—probably not much older than Pei Nanxu, young and stunning with a slim, elegant figure.

The Omega met her gaze and smiled politely.

Su Chenli: “…?”

Who is this?

No way an outsider would be casually attending a Su family lunch. Could this be… the “stepmother” mentioned in the world data?

The one who brought Pei Nanxu into the household—Cheng Xi?

…She really was beautiful. But why did it seem like she was a little afraid of her?

Cheng Xi glanced toward Pei Nanxu, who was quietly sipping water with her head down. Then she turned back to Su Chenli and offered a reserved smile.
“Xiao Xu recently started working at the company. And since you don’t come home often, and your father happened to be eating lunch here today, we thought it’d be a good chance for a little reunion.”

Su Chenli wasn’t sure what kind of attitude she should be showing this “stepmother,” so she copied Pei Nanxu and took a sip of water before responding with a noncommittal “Mm.”

President Su clapped his hands lightly. “Alright, everyone’s here—let’s eat.” As he began serving dishes, he spoke in a casual, conversational tone:
“Come to think of it, Xiao Xu has been spending less and less time at home lately. How have you two been getting along these days?”

Su Chenli had no idea how to answer. She’d only just entered this world—what was she supposed to say?

Pei Nanxu, seated beside her, kept her eyes lowered and answered mildly,
“Same as always. Nothing’s changed.”

Su Chenli had no clue what her “father” thought of that reply, but remembering how Pei Nanxu had acted in the room earlier, she felt like that wasn’t exactly a positive statement.

President Su continued, seemingly unfazed:
“Not long ago, she nearly ruined one of your deals. I thought there’d be some friction between you two. After all, you’d been working on that project for quite a while—it was your first independent success, wasn’t it?”

This time, Pei Nanxu’s reaction remained composed.

Su Chenli, on the other hand, was stunned—her eyes flew wide open.

Wait—what?! That happened???

Just how arrogant was the original host? How awful do you have to be to casually destroy someone else’s hard-earned work like that? That’s not just rude, that’s insane!

Su Chenli had no idea what her “father” thought of Pei Nanxu’s response, but she couldn’t help thinking about how Pei Nanxu had acted earlier in her room. Somehow, the words just now didn’t sound like a compliment.

President Su continued casually,
“A while back, she nearly ruined one of your business deals. I figured there’d be some conflict between you two—after all, you worked on that project for a long time. It was your first real accomplishment on your own, wasn’t it?”

Pei Nanxu reacted mildly to this, but Su Chenli’s eyes flew wide open.

Wait, what? That happened too???

Just how arrogant had the original host been? Ruining someone else’s hard-earned work like it was nothing—did she even consider other people’s efforts? That wasn’t just rude, it was unhinged.

No wonder Pei Nanxu acted so indifferent toward the original host in the story. If it had been her, she wouldn’t want anything to do with someone like that either.

Honestly… the beautiful lady was incredibly gracious.

While Su Chenli was internally drowning in guilt, Pei Nanxu replied calmly, as though it really didn’t matter:
“It wasn’t anything major. Just a routine project. There’ll be other opportunities. And in the end, it was salvaged. No real harm done.”

Su Chenli turned to look at Pei Nanxu, surprised.

Did she really not care, or was she just used to bottling everything up?

Her gaze swept across the table, landing briefly on President Su and Cheng Xi. These two were the ones who had funded Pei Nanxu’s education, given her a place in the family, and offered her opportunities. If they asked her to do something, she probably couldn’t easily refuse.

President Su smiled gently at Pei Nanxu, his tone tinged with helplessness.
“Chenli’s always been a bit behind you. She wouldn’t be able to keep up if we let her work under you. Honestly, the only thing she’s ever excelled at is giving up halfway. She always has to make a mess of things before she’s satisfied. From childhood till now, I don’t know how much trouble she’s caused you. We’re lucky you’re willing to put up with her.”

Su Chenli, who had been seriously reflecting, suddenly froze: “…”

Okay, okay! Enough already!

She got it—she was biologically his. Only a real parent would criticize someone this thoroughly. He was one step away from pointing at her forehead and calling her useless.

Pei Nanxu glanced lightly at Su Chenli, then quickly looked away and answered calmly,
“It wasn’t a big deal. I don’t mind.”

President Su nodded and added in a heartfelt tone:
“You two grew up together. You’re practically sisters. You should always take care of each other.”

Across the table, Cheng Xi’s hand—just as she was picking up some food—paused ever so slightly. But she said nothing, and no one seemed to notice.

Pei Nanxu gave a quiet “I will” in response.

Dinner passed with an odd undercurrent. On the surface, everything seemed peaceful and harmonious, but Su Chenli couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off. She barely ate a few bites before heading back upstairs.

Once in her own space, she immediately summoned the system.

“What exactly is the original host’s relationship with Pei Nanxu? Why does everything feel so off? And the Su family—what’s with this weird atmosphere?”

She’d already thought it was strange that her “stepmother” married into the Su family and brought along a sponsored student. But now, after interacting with everyone, things felt even more bizarre.

She couldn’t figure out Pei Nanxu’s real place in this household at all.

It’s just… too weird.

Su Chenli sat on the small sofa, waiting for the system to respond. But before it could speak, there was a knock at her door.

She frowned, thinking it was another servant.
“What is it?” she called out.

“It’s me,” came President Su’s voice from outside.

Su Chenli paused, then walked over to open the door.

Sure enough, standing there was the same calm, seemingly fair and gentle man from earlier. Now that they were alone, he looked less stern and more… concerned, his expression filled with parental care as he looked at Su Chenli.

Pei Nanxu nodded. “I will.”

The meal continued under a strangely stifling atmosphere. On the surface, everything seemed calm and polite, but Su Chenli couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off. She barely ate a few bites before excusing herself and heading back to her room.

The moment she stepped back into her space, she immediately summoned the system.
“What exactly is the relationship between the original host and Pei Nanxu? Why does everything feel so wrong? And the Su family—what’s with this weird vibe?”

She had already thought it was bizarre that her “stepmother” married into the Su family and brought along a sponsored student. But now that she was actually in the thick of it, things felt even more off.

She couldn’t get a clear sense of Pei Nanxu’s standing in this household.

Something’s really wrong here.

Su Chenli sat on the small sofa waiting for the system’s response. But before it could say anything, there was a knock at the door.

She frowned, thinking it was another servant.
“What is it?” she called.

“It’s me,” came President Su’s voice from outside.

Su Chenli froze, then walked over and opened the door.

Sure enough, it was the same President Su who had seemed so gentle and impartial at dinner. Now that there were no outsiders present, he looked less stern and more concerned—his gaze fixed warmly on Su Chenli.

Su Chenli paused, her thoughts swirling:
Why does it feel like everyone in this world is secretly a best actor or actress?

“Come with me,” President Su said, giving her a look.

“…Alright.” Su Chenli couldn’t think of a reason to refuse, so she gave a casual nod and temporarily paused the system’s search. She followed him to a nearby rooftop terrace on the same floor—one that only she typically used for a quick coffee break.

Once they reached the low table, each sat on either side. President Su wasted no time:

“Tell me—when you nearly sabotaged Pei Nanxu’s project, was it on purpose, or just careless?”

“Huh?” Su Chenli was caught off guard. How would she know?!

But seeing how calmly he asked, she hesitated, then replied vaguely:
“…Half and half, I guess.”

“You’ve always liked picking on Pei Nanxu. That hasn’t changed over the years,” he said lightly. “But honestly, whether you admire her or hate her doesn’t really matter. Just remember—her role in the company is ultimately to support you. Don’t go too far next time. Think about how to use her properly.”

“???” Su Chenli stared at him in shock.

Wow. Same DNA really shows, huh?

The original host thought Pei Nanxu existed to serve her, and now the Su family patriarch was literally telling her to “think about how to use her.” Just… unbelievable.

Unreal.

“You’re listening, right?” President Su glanced at her.

“Yep, heard you.” Su Chenli replied with the flattest tone imaginable.

He frowned. “You’re always so careless with these things… Forget it. No rush about the family business anyway. Since you’ve heard me, go back and continue your confinement.”

Su Chenli instinctively blurted,
“Still grounded?”

“Of course,” he said, glancing back at her. “You totaled someone’s car in a parking lot street race. I’m not done dealing with that. Get back and reflect.”

Totaled… someone’s car…?

Su Chenli was speechless.
The original host really was a disaster of a person.

Back in her room, Su Chenli collapsed face-down onto the bed.
“I’m begging you, system. What kind of character is this?! It’s completely absurd. The last two identities at least had some charm—this one? If I dared call myself a rich brat, even real rich brats would kick me out of their circle.”

[Uhh… Host, don’t take it to heart. A character’s just a character. You’re you. Playing a scumbag doesn’t make you a scumbag! Just think of it like acting…]

Su Chenli groaned. “I feel sick…”

The system was starting to panic. Completely at a loss, it awkwardly changed the subject:

[Right, Host—you asked me to look into the original host’s relationship with Pei Nanxu, didn’t you? I checked. The original novel doesn’t directly explain their relationship, but there are hints. For instance, after the canary Omega ditched the devoted female lead for the scummy Alpha, President Su wanted to hold Pei Nanxu accountable. But the original host—already engaged at that point—personally stopped him. Later, without ever showing up, she secretly arranged for Pei Nanxu to go abroad, just as she had requested. Everything was set up for her behind the scenes.]

“…Huh?” Su Chenli lifted her head from the pillow, stunned.
“You’re saying the original host… occasionally acted like a decent person?”

The system skimmed through the original narrative, quietly hiding all the vague, bittersweet fragments of that storyline, and replied solemnly:

[Maybe you could ask the characters around you? A lot of things aren’t explicitly written in the original. The small world timeline often fills in the gaps itself.]

Su Chenli thought for a moment, then sat up.
“Fair point.”

She picked up her phone and opened her messaging app. In the midst of dozens of texts asking her to drink, party, or hit up a club, she selected a contact that looked close based on the nickname. They were even still in the same class group chat. Conveniently, that contact had just asked her to go racing again, so she replied beneath that message:

[Hey, do you remember Pei Nanxu? What was she like when we were in school?]

Since the childhood relationship between the original host and Pei Nanxu started during their school years, this seemed like the safest starting point. And after all this time, it was plausible that she’d simply forgotten.

The other rich kid must’ve been on their phone because the reply came quickly:

[Of course I remember her. Who wouldn’t? She was that student council girl. Didn’t you used to really like her? You were always secretly staring when she made you stand outside as punishment.]

Su Chenli stared at the screen, dumbfounded.

“…Huh?”

What the hell is this guy talking about? Who liked Pei Nanxu?! The original host??

But hadn’t they spent all their time clashing? The original even tried to control her freedom. If that was love, then it was… deranged.

And judging by the system’s info… that line had ended in a complete BE?

This whole setup was beyond ridiculous.
Could this story get any messier??

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