Supreme Heir Son-in-law

Chapter 942 - 941: Origins

Upon hearing Xu Ke’s question, the expressions of the two sisters became subtly intriguing for a moment, and the smiles that had been worn on their faces vanished without a trace. The younger sister’s expression even turned somewhat bitter, just sitting there giving off an air of bitterness.

"Is it inconvenient to talk about?" Xu Ke put down his glass and asked.

Perhaps it was due to the gentle look in Xu Ke’s eyes, the girl who usually spoke little and simply smiled quietly opened her mouth for the second time. But this time, her voice lacked the previous vitality and carried a weary tone of someone just barely holding on.

"If we don’t come here, where else can we go? My sister and I just graduated from college and couldn’t find any high-paying jobs. But both of our parents are gamblers. If we don’t earn more money, the people from the casino will come looking for us. We can’t just stand by and watch them die, can we?" The smile on the younger sister’s face was like a bitter candy dissolving in her mouth, its bitterness making it hard for one to suppress the urge to frown.

Seeing Xu Ke’s expression rather unsettled, Guoguo immediately showed a regretful look, quickly curbing her expression to sustain a cheerful smile. Yet, her previous words lingered in Xu Ke’s ears, resonating with even more bitterness than before.

"If you don’t want to smile, then don’t," Xu Ke said, looking at them.

Due to the sisters’ babyface features, they appeared to be about the same age as Yu Xia. Seeing them working in such a place so young because of their parents, encountering clients with peculiar tastes could destroy their entire lives. Xu Ke felt a pang of pity looking at their innocent faces, a moment reminding him of Yu Xia who he had just rescued.

Sometimes life really is unfair. Some are born into loving families, free to do whatever they wish, surrounded by good friends, never lacking in love or material well-being. But for some, just living takes all the strength they have, and they have no energy left for anything else.

For the sisters in front of him, their future seemed destined for darkness the moment they entered this place. If they were lucky, their parents might come to their senses, quit gambling, and help them pay off the debts. Once the debts are cleared, they could leave, start anew in a different city. But if they’re not lucky, they might stay until they die, trying to find a wealthy patron while they’re still young, only to be discarded when they age, left to find some low-paying job to get by.

All of this, however, assumes they can pay off their parents’ gambling debts. If they can’t, perhaps when they’re older, they’ll be taken to some underground market. While they might not be able to sell their looks by then, their relatively healthy organs might attract those desperate for life-saving transplants willing to offer a hefty reward. Losing a vital organ would mean facing their death.

Their future seemed easily predictable, and they knew it too. Despite their youthful looks, they tried to maintain an innocent and cheerful smile on their faces, yet beneath their gaze lingered an unfathomable sadness.

In the blink of an eye, Xu Ke’s mind raced through numerous thoughts, but hearing Xu Ke’s words caused their faces to turn pale instantly.

Xu Ke didn’t want them to keep smiling out of pity, but the sisters misunderstood his intentions. They thought Xu Ke despised them, engulfing them in a tremendous wave of fear and helplessness, breaking down their mental defenses.

Even though they had accepted their fate, already pushing themselves into Hell, deep inside, they held onto a small, humble hope that they could one day pay off the debts and break free. Yet Xu Ke’s response seemed to extinguish this meager hope they cherished.

Xu Ke’s position, mingling with the boss and others, suggested that he was on the same level as them. The manager had told them earlier upon entering that if they pleased anyone in that room, they could lead a good life. But now, it seemed like they had ruined everything, and tears welled up in the girls’ eyes in a blink.

At that moment, they couldn’t care less about avoiding suspicion; instinctively, they reached out and grabbed Xu Ke’s arm, each of them holding onto one. Xu Ke’s hand holding the glass trembled, nearly spilling its contents all over himself.

"I’m sorry, we’ll behave well. Please, don’t send us away, alright?" both girls pleaded in unison, their voices thick with sobs, as if they were on the brink of bursting into tears, their eyes reflecting the pained look of abandoned puppies, softening Xu Ke’s heart.

"Have you misunderstood something? I have no intention of sending you away. It’s just that you both seemed so sad, so I wanted to ease things for you. If you don’t feel like smiling, you don’t have to. Accompany me for a chat instead," Xu Ke spoke to the younger sister.

Upon hearing Xu Ke didn’t intend to send them away, the sisters finally felt relief, their tense hearts easing, displaying relaxed expressions. They shared a shy smile with Xu Ke, quickly wiping away their tears, pretending they hadn’t been scared to cry moments ago. This clumsy cover-up made them seem all the more endearing.

"Here, wipe away those tears," Xu Ke said, handing them tissues.

It was the first time the sisters were serving guests, naturally feeling a bit anxious. Although they seemed totally unbothered and even genuinely happy when smiling at Xu Ke earlier, they were actually sitting on the sofa with half their bodies going numb. Their minds preoccupied with their fate, they didn’t have space to appreciate Xu Ke. But realizing Xu Ke was nothing like they imagined, genuinely gentle rather than superficially so, not looking at them with a dismissive softness like they were trash, this profound kindness was clearly part of Xu Ke’s nature.

Accepting the tissues, the sisters thanked Xu Ke sincerely, finally able to relax and, under the warm light of the venue, scrutinize Xu Ke’s features. The glow lent by the warm lights added a halo to Xu Ke’s countenance, making him appear even more handsome, successfully making both sisters blush.