I Was Just a Scumbag Extra, But She Loved Me Anyway [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 37

The soundstage was full of people—directors, actors, assistants, crew members, extras… Everyone was frozen in shock, watching the sudden confrontation between Pei Nanxu and Su Chenli unfold.

Under the stunned gaze of the crowd, Su Chenli quickly walked over, grabbed Pei Nanxu by the wrist, and pulled her to her side. Holding back her emotions, she lowered her voice and said, “Come with me.”

Pei Nanxu didn’t respond right away. Instead, she looked at Yu Xi and said gently, “Wait for me here, alright?”

Seeing how tender and thoughtful they were with each other, Su Chenli’s grip on Pei Nanxu’s wrist tightened without even realizing it.

If their bond is already this deep… then what am I?

Pei Nanxu noticed the pressure on her wrist and looked at Su Chenli in confusion. “Why are you angry?”

Su Chenli took a deep breath and didn’t answer. She just kept pulling Pei Nanxu along until they reached the company car that had brought her to the set. She pushed Pei Nanxu into the back seat and finally stopped.

“Are you in love with Yu Xi?” Su Chenli asked, still holding her wrist.

Pei Nanxu tried to pull her arm back. When it didn’t budge, she simply let it be. “And if I am?”

“You…” A pang of pain shot through Su Chenli’s chest. Even though she knew Pei Nanxu was acting this way because of the plot’s influence, it still hurt. “You’ve only known her for what—five minutes? And you like her already?”

“…And who I like—what does that have to do with you?” Pei Nanxu replied after a pause, eyeing Su Chenli with faint suspicion.

Su Chenli froze for a moment, nearly forgetting she was still supposed to be acting out a mission. “We grew up together!” she blurted. “And you choose to like her?!”

As soon as those words left her mouth, she went completely still.

Suddenly, vivid memories flooded her mind—memories she didn’t know she had.

Pei Nanxu, quiet and reserved, standing alone by the school gate in middle school, checking students’ ID badges…
Pei Nanxu, red-eyed and biting her lip, sitting under the desk lamp in Su Chenli’s room late at night, helping her with homework…
Pei Nanxu, a little older and noticeably colder, punishing her with bad grades just to get back at her for being difficult…

Every single scene felt sharp and real—warm and intimate, filled with a sense of familiarity and hidden joy. It felt like she really had watched over Pei Nanxu for years… quietly, deeply.

That quiet, buried emotion bled into her current heartache, like a thorn pushing deeper, making her chest ache unbearably.

Wait… Are these really her own feelings and memories? Or the original host’s?

While Su Chenli was still lost in thought, Pei Nanxu yanked her hand back with force, glaring at her in disbelief. “Have you lost your mind?!”

Snapped out of her daze, Su Chenli blinked. “What?”

“We are never going to be together,” Pei Nanxu said, rubbing her wrist as she looked at Su Chenli with a complicated expression. Then she opened the car door. “Neither of us wants that. Even if we grew up together, we’ve always resented each other. Who I like has nothing to do with you.”

Su Chenli instinctively reached out to grab her again, but her hand only brushed against Pei Nanxu’s shirt as she shut the car door.

She stood frozen for a second, then stubbornly jumped out of the car.

Outside, Pei Nanxu had already walked several steps away. Su Chenli gripped the car door and shouted after her, “Pei Nanxu!”

Pei Nanxu paused for a moment and turned slightly. “If you want to go tell Chu Ningxin, then go. I don’t care.”

“You—!” Su Chenli was trembling with anger, but Pei Nanxu didn’t seem interested in hearing another word. She walked straight back toward the set without looking back.

Su Chenli stayed where she was, frustrated and defeated. She leaned forward against the roof of the car and buried her face in her arms.

Why would Pei Nanxu fall for Yu Xi? Even if she didn’t recognize her—even if she had no memory of them—couldn’t she just stay focused on her work like before?

Why did she have to like someone else?

[Um… Host?] the system’s hesitant voice rang in her mind. [Are you… okay?]

“…Do I look okay to you?” Su Chenli whispered back.

“You…” Su Chenli was furious, but Pei Nanxu clearly had no intention of continuing the conversation. She turned and walked straight back toward the filming site.

Su Chenli stood there for a moment, then leaned against the car roof and buried her face in frustration.

Why would Pei Nanxu fall for Yu Xi?
Even if she didn’t recognize her—even if she had no memories—wouldn’t it be better to just focus on her career like she used to?

Why did she have to go and like someone else?

[Um… Host?]
The system’s voice popped up awkwardly in her mind.
[Are… you alright?]

“…What do you think?” Su Chenli replied softly, her voice muffled.

The system immediately realized how stupid its question had been and awkwardly tried to change the subject:
[I just wanted to say… maybe Pei Nanxu’s unusual attitude toward Canary O isn’t entirely romantic. It could also be due to her character setup.]

“Setup?” Su Chenli lifted her head slightly, regaining a bit of focus. “What kind of setup?”

The system went quiet for a moment, then displayed a passage in front of her:
[Take a look at this. It’s not long, and it’s buried in a scene where the scummy Alpha is searching for Yu Xi—it’s really easy to overlook.]

Su Chenli focused on the floating text:

The bar was dimly lit and in disarray. Though it was technically open, not a single customer was inside.

Su Chenli parked her sports car outside, carelessly adjusting her handbag as she stepped in. She had barely taken a few steps before kicking an empty beer bottle aside.

She looked down at it with a frown and clicked her tongue in distaste.

Stepping over the cluttered floor, she found Chu Ningxin slumped in the far corner of the bar, looking utterly defeated.

“What’s going on? Where is everyone?” Su Chenli casually opened a bottle from the table and took a drink.

“I told them all to go home,” came Chu Ningxin’s low, hoarse voice from where she sat with her eyes covered.

“Right…” Su Chenli replied, snarky but calm. “I guess if you get robbed later, nobody would even know.”

“Don’t say that.” Chu Ningxin suddenly reached out and grabbed Su Chenli’s arm. “Did you find Yu Xi yet?”

The sudden motion made Su Chenli wobble, and a few drops of wine spilled from her glass.

She glanced at the droplets now staining her handbag, then took a sip before replying: “More or less.”

“What do you mean ‘more or less’? Where is she?” Chu Ningxin asked urgently.

“Ugh, relax,” Su Chenli waved her off. “I already warned her for you. It won’t be long before someone brings Yu Xi back to you.”

Meanwhile, in a quiet upscale apartment in the northern district of L City, Pei Nanxu knelt before a storage cabinet in the living room, pulling out an old photograph.

The photo was scratched and blurry with age, but the vague image of two young girls could still be made out—one of them bearing a strong resemblance to Pei Nanxu.

She gently traced the other girl’s face with her fingertip and said in a firm, low voice, “I won’t stand by and let that scumbag keep hurting you.”

That entire passage only included Pei Nanxu for a moment—just one brief scene—before jumping back to Su Chenli dragging Chu Ningxin home, where Chu falls into a spiral of longing for Yu Xi.

Pei Nanxu’s single line was easy to overlook, but the system had pulled it out for a reason. There had to be something important buried in it.

Su Chenli recalled that Pei Nanxu’s backstory included being a student sponsored by Cheng Xi, but the novel hadn’t provided many details beyond that. Could it be…?

“Was Pei Nanxu raised in an orphanage before she got sponsored? And maybe she already knew Yu Xi back then?” Su Chenli asked.

The system quickly responded:
[The original text doesn’t go into detail. That scene is one of the only clues, but putting it all together—yes, that’s the likely implication. Still, we can’t be 100% sure. Since you’re already inside the small world, if you really want to know, why not just ask Cheng Xi?]

“Ask?” Su Chenli snapped fully to attention. “There are only four people in the Su family estate, and I still can’t fully figure out where each of them stands. If I bring this up with Cheng Xi and cause a butterfly effect, who knows what that’ll mess up…”

She paused and added, “This has to be looked into quietly.”

[Ah… I see. So you’ve got a plan?] the system asked, intrigued.

“Chu Ningxin,” Su Chenli said as she pulled out her phone. “She runs an entertainment company—digging up people’s pasts should be her specialty. No way she’s just here to hold the title of ‘good friend’ and do nothing. I might even have to help her win her girl later, so let’s start with a little mutual support.”

The system was silent for a beat.
[…]

Meanwhile, in a high-end residential complex in the northern district of L City, Pei Nanxu knelt in front of a storage cabinet in the living room. She pulled out an old photo—aged, scratched, and blurred.

Though it was hard to make out clearly, the photo appeared to show two girls. One of them looked strikingly similar to Pei Nanxu.

Her fingertip gently brushed over the face of the other girl in the picture. In a quiet but firm voice, she said, “I won’t sit back and watch that scumbag keep hurting you.”

—

In the original novel, this scene was just a fleeting moment. It came sandwiched between Su Chenli taking Chu Ningxin home and Chu Ningxin spiraling into grief over missing Yu Xi. Pei Nanxu’s single line of dialogue was easy to overlook—but if the system had gone out of its way to highlight it, there had to be something important there.

Su Chenli remembered that Pei Nanxu had been described as a student sponsored by Cheng Xi, but the novel didn’t go into much detail beyond that. Could it be…

“Was Pei Nanxu raised in an orphanage before being sponsored? And did she already know Yu Xi back then?” Su Chenli asked aloud.

The system responded immediately:
[The original novel doesn’t give much detail. That short moment is all there is to go on. But based on everything we know so far, your theory makes sense. Still, it’s not completely confirmed. If you really want to be sure, you could always ask Cheng Xi directly.]

“Ask?” Su Chenli perked up, suddenly more alert. “There are only four people in the Su family estate, and I don’t fully understand where any of them stand. If I bring this up to Cheng Xi and it triggers some kind of butterfly effect… who knows what that could mess up.”

She paused. “No. This has to be investigated quietly.”

[Ah, I see… Sounds like you have a plan?]

“Chu Ningxin,” Su Chenli said, pulling out her phone. “She runs an entertainment company—digging into people’s backgrounds should be her specialty. No way she gets to hold the ‘best friend’ title and do nothing. I might even end up helping her chase her lover later, so let’s make it a fair exchange.”

[…]
The system went silent for a moment.

Wow, it thought, my host really knows how to make the most of her surroundings.

After sending a message to Chu Ningxin and confirming the next steps, Su Chenli finally felt her emotions settle a little.

Looking back, even in the previous two worlds, her “beautiful sister” never recognized her right away. Each time, it had taken a long, winding path—and only after they had gone through everything together did they finally confirm their feelings.

Maybe that was the problem this time. Knowing that the person she was searching for was right in front of her, Su Chenli had rushed too quickly. And as a result, nothing had gone the way she hoped.

…Yes. She needed to give her time.

Su Chenli took a quiet breath.

It was okay. This wasn’t the end of the world. If Pei Nanxu didn’t remember her, then they would just fall in love all over again.

It didn’t matter how many times they started over—so long as they appeared in each other’s world, they would always find their way back.

She wasn’t in a rush. She could wait.

With that thought, Su Chenli turned her phone slowly in her hand and glanced in the direction of the set. Then, she stepped forward and walked back toward it.

Since she was already playing the part, she had to play it all the way. After everything she’d done to get here, she couldn’t just talk to Pei Nanxu for two minutes and leave, throwing her subordinates and company duties aside.

There were still things she needed to take care of.

Back on set, Su Chenli made another round, met again with the company’s deputy general manager and the two producers, and held a short meeting. She asked about some basic matters and gave a few instructions.

Her sudden competence caught everyone off guard. They stared at her in mild confusion, quickly jotting everything down while still trying to figure out what had just happened.

[…]
The system went silent for a moment.

Yeah… this host of mine really knows how to use her surroundings.

After messaging Chu Ningxin and figuring out her next step, Su Chenli finally felt a bit calmer.

Thinking it through more clearly now—even in the previous two worlds, her “beautiful sister” hadn’t recognized her right away. Each time, they had to go through a long process of events before their feelings became clear to each other.

Maybe this time, it was because Su Chenli knew the person she was looking for was right in front of her… so she pushed too hard, too fast. And naturally, the outcome wasn’t what she wanted.

…Right. She needed to give her beautiful sister some time.

Su Chenli took a slow, steady breath.

It’s okay. This wasn’t a big deal. If her sister didn’t remember her, they would just fall in love all over again.

No matter how many times they had to start over, as long as they existed in the same world, they would always find their way back to each other.

She wasn’t in a hurry.

Thinking that, Su Chenli twirled her phone in her hand, glanced toward the filming area, and headed back in.

Since she had gone through so much trouble to be here, she wasn’t going to just say a few words to Pei Nanxu and leave everything else behind. The company, the staff—she still had responsibilities.

Time to follow through and finish the scene.

She made another round through the set, held a brief meeting with the deputy manager and the two producers, asked some basic questions, and gave some clear instructions.

Her sudden professionalism caught everyone off guard. They exchanged confused glances but quickly jotted everything down.

Su Chenli glanced at the producers and then at her watch. When the time felt just right, she stood up.

“Sorry for interrupting your work today,” she said politely. “I have other plans later this afternoon, so I won’t take up more of your time.”

The deputy manager stood up with surprise and leaned in to whisper, “Miss Su, aren’t you going to stay and observe a bit longer?”

You came all this way—just to leave now?

Su Chenli casually patted the man on the arm. “I’ve got something else to take care of. No need to worry about me. Just arrange a car for yourself.”

“Huh??” The deputy was caught off guard and called out quickly, “That’s not safe, Miss Su! If you go back alone—what about your security?”

Su Chenli waved her hand dismissively.

What could possibly happen?

Just earlier, she’d messaged her father’s secretary and gotten the exact time Pei Nanxu had scheduled her contract meeting. Based on that, Pei Nanxu should be leaving the studio right about now.

Time to ambush her.

—

Pei Nanxu, focused on work as always, soon left the set and made her way to the parking lot. But just as she stepped in, she noticed a tall figure leaning lazily against her car, arms crossed.

That figure—so familiar after nearly ten years of knowing her—was unmistakable.

“…What are you doing here?” Pei Nanxu asked coolly.

They’d just had an argument. She doubted this visit came with anything nice to say.

“Waiting for you, of course,” Su Chenli turned around and said with a look that made it sound completely natural.

“What?” Pei Nanxu frowned. “Where’s your car?”

“Doesn’t matter. I want to go back with you.” Su Chenli smiled lightly, speaking with blatant entitlement.

After all, that was part of the original host’s character. She had no reason to feel guilty playing into it.

“Didn’t you say I could go tell Chu Ningxin whatever I wanted?” Su Chenli added casually. “Well, I thought about it—and honestly, I could tell way more than just her. Like the producer, Cheng Xi… or even my dad?”

She leaned in, still smiling. “If you don’t want that kind of trouble, just give me a ride back into the city. How about it?”

Pei Nanxu pressed her lips together.

She really didn’t want this blown up to the Su family. For now, compromise was the only option.

She glanced at Su Chenli, clearly not pleased, and tossed her handbag at her. “Get in.”

Su Chenli caught it easily and chuckled. “Sure.”

—

On the drive back, Su Chenli sat quietly in the passenger seat the entire time, not mentioning Yu Xi even once. Only when they were about to reach the city did she speak up:

“Could you drop me off near the airport?”

Pei Nanxu couldn’t help herself. “What exactly are you up to?”

“Nothing,” Su Chenli replied with a perfectly straight face. “Just sharing a ride into the city.”

Pei Nanxu gave her a long look.

Since Su Chenli was clearly playing mysterious, she didn’t ask anything more. Sooner or later, Su Chenli would talk.

When the car pulled up to the airport entrance, Pei Nanxu said coolly, “We’re here.”

She didn’t even bother asking what Su Chenli was doing at the airport. After all, H City was close to L City—there was no need to fly.

“Thanks,” Su Chenli said cheerfully, stepping out of the car. But just as she was about to close the door, she suddenly bent down again, leaning in toward Pei Nanxu’s window.

Pei Nanxu looked at her. “…What?”

“Nothing,” Su Chenli said, eyes gleaming. “I just suddenly thought of something I wanted to ask.”

Pei Nanxu narrowed her eyes slightly. “…What is it?”

With a small smirk, Su Chenli held her gaze and said slowly,
“Even though you claim we hate each other—after living together all these years… not even once? Not even for a moment, did you ever feel something for me that you shouldn’t have?”

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