I Was Just a Scumbag Extra, But She Loved Me Anyway [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 41

Pei Nanxu had just left the Su family villa when she was urgently summoned back.

The villa was indeed just as Cheng Xi had described—nearly empty. Neither Chairman Su nor Su Chenli was present, making the place feel rather deserted. Pei Nanxu casually stopped a housekeeper and asked, “Where is President Cheng?”

The housekeeper paused for a moment. “Madam is having tea upstairs.”

Even among luxury estates, the Su family’s villa was considered top-tier—so vast that Pei Nanxu wasn’t even familiar with all of it. However, she did know there was a sunlit, airy room on the second floor. From there, one could see the garden below. Cheng Xi often sat there reading and drinking tea when she had free time.

Pei Nanxu hesitated briefly before heading straight for that room.

Her footsteps echoed down the corridor, and what wasn’t a particularly long walk suddenly felt endless. The closer she got to the room, the more resistant she felt. By the time she stood in front of the door, the thought of turning around and leaving had already crossed her mind.

She stood at the doorway for a moment, reluctant to see Cheng Xi. Just as she was about to leave and pretend she had never come, Cheng Xi’s voice came from inside the room.

“Nanxu, is that you?”

Pei Nanxu froze where she stood.

With a soft click, the door opened, and Cheng Xi’s face came into view. Her smile was as gentle and restrained as always, tinged with a hint of apprehensive flattery.

Ever since Pei Nanxu had grown up and begun to show her talent for management—earning the favor of Su Chenli’s father and securing her place within the Su Group—Cheng Xi’s attitude had subtly shifted. It was as though she were constantly testing the waters, seeking Pei Nanxu’s protection yet afraid of being pushed away.

“…I thought you wouldn’t be here for a while longer. Come on in,” Cheng Xi said gently, stepping aside with a cautious smile.

Pei Nanxu looked away, her expression cooling. She dragged her feet a few steps forward but soon stopped, standing just at the threshold, her tone detached. “Whatever it is, just say it here.”

Cheng Xi glanced at her with a sigh, lowering her head slightly. “We both came into the Su family together. By all rights, we should have been close… I don’t know how things ended up like this.”

Pei Nanxu’s lashes fluttered slightly. She gave Cheng Xi a somewhat surprised look, her tone tinged with self-mockery. “You really don’t know what it meant when the Cheng family shoved me in here? And you still thought we could get along well under those circumstances?”

Cheng Xi faltered, inhaling softly. “Well… my father mainly hoped you would end up with Chenli, not…”

“…Heh.”

Pei Nanxu let out a dry, cold laugh, unsure how else to respond.

So what—because the Cheng family had sent her to seduce Su Chenli and not Cheng Xi’s own husband, the two women were supposed to live in harmony? Maybe Cheng Xi was broad-minded enough not to care, but Pei Nanxu had no intention of being manipulated or selling her looks to lure anyone.

“Nanxu, please don’t be angry. That’s not what I meant,” Cheng Xi said, clearly flustered. “I just… I just think we should be closer.”

Pei Nanxu didn’t bother replying. She turned her face away, her voice cold. “If you have something to say, then say it.”

“…Well,” Cheng Xi’s gaze shifted uneasily. “Why don’t you just go ahead and undergo your differentiation…”

Pei Nanxu paused, hardly able to believe her ears. “What did you just say?”

Cheng Xi bit her lip, then said through clenched teeth, “Your test results back then said you were likely to differentiate into an Omega. It’s been years, yes, and maybe you’re past the typical age—but with some medication, it might still be possible…”

“Are you insane?” Pei Nanxu stared at Cheng Xi in disbelief. “You want me to use drugs to force myself into becoming an Omega? That’s ridiculous. What makes you think I’d ever agree to that?”

“Nanxu, Nanxu,” Cheng Xi anxiously grabbed Pei Nanxu’s arm. “Keep your voice down.”

Cheng Xi glanced around nervously, even opening the door to check the hallway before turning back and gripping Pei Nanxu’s hand somewhat awkwardly. “I’m not saying you need to get close to Chenli’s father. I know you see him as an elder. But isn’t Chenli still around? Now that his father favors you, if you became an Omega, you could approach Chenli…”

“Enough!” Pei Nanxu yanked her arm away, disgust flashing in her eyes. “Are you seriously unaware that President Su is considering the daughter of the Li family’s Party Secretary? Why are you bringing this up now? What exactly are you trying to get me to do?!”

Cheng Xi’s gaze shifted anxiously. “H-How did you find out about that?”

Pei Nanxu closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “I don’t care what your agenda is. Let me make one thing clear—I will never cooperate with you. Not now, not ever. I will never differentiate into an Omega!”

[System Message]
Host… is this really necessary?

In the garden outside the Su family villa, Su Chenli was quietly sneaking back in. Her car was parked far down the street, and on her way through the courtyard she had even threatened two unsuspecting gardeners who happened to catch sight of her.

“If you want to keep your jobs,” she’d warned coldly, “you didn’t see me here.”

Now she crept in through the terrace that connected the garden to the first floor.

“Why wouldn’t it be necessary?” Su Chenli muttered as she moved cautiously. “Ever since that beautiful sister left mid-scene, I’ve had a bad feeling. Why would she suddenly leave—and head straight for the Su family house? She had just left moments earlier—how could anything urgent come up so quickly? You heard me call the maid and my original dad’s secretary earlier. There’s only one person home right now—Cheng Xi.”

[System]
So…?

“I suspect Cheng Xi is up to something. She specifically waited until both I and my original dad weren’t home to call Nanxu back here,” Su Chenli whispered while sneaking up the stairs. “Probably because I changed cars before going out today. I only did it so the pretty sister wouldn’t recognize me. Cheng Xi probably thought I was sneaking off to mess around, and switched tactics thinking I wouldn’t notice.”

[System]
That’s… possible? But I haven’t detected any changes in the world line.

“You said the same thing last time we triggered a hidden storyline—and then you were all smug about how rare it was. Who’s to say this isn’t another one?” Su Chenli replied sharply.

[System]
…
The system grumpily shut down the world-line monitor. Having a hyper-intuitive host was such a pain—it seriously considered quitting on the spot.

By now, Su Chenli had reached the second floor—but found herself stuck. “Crap, I don’t know which room they’re in. Should I find someone to ask?”

Before she could decide, a door at the end of the hallway opened. Cheng Xi stepped out, glancing around.

Perfect.

Su Chenli ducked behind a corner to avoid being seen. Once Cheng Xi closed the door and left, she quietly made her way forward.

Inside, the argument was still ongoing.

“I was taken from the orphanage by the Cheng family, but did they ever actually raise me?” Pei Nanxu’s voice was trembling with anger, her hands clenched tightly at her sides. “What did they teach me? A bunch of manipulative garbage. If I owe anyone a debt, it’s the Su family—not you.”

“But we came into the Su family together…” Cheng Xi pleaded, her expression desperate. “If the Chengs hadn’t found you and brought you to be with me, would you really have had a peaceful life all these years? Would you have been able to finish school?”

“Don’t,” Pei Nanxu cut her off, taking two steps back and turning away. “I’ve already backed you up in this house more times than I can count. But let’s be honest—the only reason I’ve made it this far is because President Su and his family treated me decently. If everyone in the Cheng family were like you, I’d probably be dead by now. Whatever you’re planning, I won’t help. And don’t contact me again.”

“But it wasn’t my idea!” Cheng Xi finally blurted out the truth.

Pei Nanxu froze and turned around.

Cheng Xi, a woman in her thirties, now stood crying like a girl barely out of her teens, wiping away tears as she choked out her confession.

“It was my uncle… When the Cheng family fell, he wasn’t implicated. He took what money he could and ran. A while back, he picked up a gambling addiction and came back looking for me. I paid off his debts, but it wasn’t enough. Now he wants into Su Group—wants shares.

I don’t know anything about business. That’s when he remembered you. Originally, he wanted to bide his time and come up with a plan. But then—somehow—he found out that Chenli’s father was thinking of marrying her off to the daughter of that Li family official. He panicked, worried that once Chenli got married, it would be too late—so he pressured me to contact you sooner.

I didn’t want to be threatened either, Nanxu. But he knows everything about us—why my family brought you in, even has recordings of conversations between my dad and him from back then. He said if I didn’t do what he wanted, he’d release the tapes online, make sure everyone hears them. If that happens, I wouldn’t be able to stay in the Su family, and neither would you, Nanxu…”

Pei Nanxu frowned. “If it’s just because of a threat…” —then there were ways to deal with it. All she had to do was handle the Cheng family.

But before she could finish, Cheng Xi suddenly grabbed her shoulders, her eyes full of hope as she looked at her.

“You understand, right? As long as you’re not mad at me. Really, if you’re willing to become an Omega, this whole thing can be solved. Look—since you and Chenli grew up together, there must be a chance for her to mark you first, right? Once she does, her father won’t ignore you anymore. Then you could…”

“Stop talking!” Pei Nanxu shook off Cheng Xi’s hands, staring at her in disbelief.

She wanted her to become an Omega, seduce Su Chenli, trick her into marking her—just to fix this problem? The Cheng family had issues… no, Cheng Xi herself had issues, and now she wanted Pei Nanxu to be the one to take the fall?

How could she have ever thought Cheng Xi was innocent?

There wasn’t a single good person in the Cheng family.

“I’m telling you right now—I will never become an Omega,” Pei Nanxu said, eyes red with anger as she glared at Cheng Xi. “Let them post whatever recordings they want. I don’t care about the Su family’s money! So what if I leave? I’ll just go find another Omega!”

Before Cheng Xi could respond, Pei Nanxu turned and stormed out of the room.

The door slammed shut behind her with a loud bang. She didn’t even look back. Fueled by frustration and hurt, she walked straight toward the villa’s exit. But as she turned the corner of the staircase, she ran right into someone—Su Chenli.

“You…?” Pei Nanxu froze. “Weren’t you supposed to be out?”

“Shh.” Su Chenli quickly covered Pei Nanxu’s mouth with her hand and pulled her into a hidden corner under the stairs.

“What are you doing?!” Pei Nanxu shoved her hand away and stepped back, putting space between them.

After what Cheng Xi had just said, any physical contact from Su Chenli made Pei Nanxu feel extra on edge.

Su Chenli let out a small sigh and lowered her hand. “Do you want Cheng Xi to find out I’m here?”

Pei Nanxu blinked, surprised. “You… heard all of that?”

“…Pretty much,” Su Chenli replied.

She’d heard everything—starting from the part where Cheng Xi suggested Pei Nanxu become an Omega to get close to her.

Pei Nanxu’s face tightened for a moment, but she quickly looked away and straightened her back, trying to stay composed. “Since you already heard it, I have nothing to hide. I guess you’ve probably suspected it for a while anyway. I didn’t come to your house with pure intentions. But don’t worry—I’ll never become an Omega.”

“So… who are you planning to go to?” Su Chenli asked, more concerned about that than anything else. “Yu Xi?”

Pei Nanxu hesitated, then answered, “And what if I am?”

“Why is it always her?” Su Chenli asked, frustrated. “What’s so great about her?”

Pei Nanxu pressed her lips together. “If you think Yu Xi being your friend’s girlfriend is a problem, then fine—I’ll choose someone else. Just stay out of it.”

Choose someone else? Just like that?

Su Chenli was on the verge of losing it. Now anyone could be close to Pei Nanxu—except her?

“Why do you always want to go to someone else?” Su Chenli burst out, her frustration pushing everything else aside. “What’s so wrong with me?!”

Pei Nanxu looked at her, caught off guard. Her voice dropped with disappointment. “So… you want me to become an Omega too?”

“I don’t care if you’re an Omega or not! I just want you!” Su Chenli said, her words overflowing with emotion. “It’s Cheng Xi who’s trying to use this whole mark thing to threaten you—not me. I never said I needed you to be an Omega. I never said I’d go along with her twisted family’s plans. Honestly, there’s no one who hates the Cheng family more than I do. Why would I ever help her?”

Pei Nanxu’s lips parted slightly, but she didn’t say anything. Her expression turned dazed, like she’d forgotten why she was even angry.

“Why does it always have to be someone else…” Su Chenli muttered, sounding hurt. She reached out and gently pulled the stunned Pei Nanxu into her arms. Leaning in close, she pressed a soft kiss to the curve of her neck.

“Sis… look at me. I’m the one who’s best for you.”

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