Doted By The Regent King-Chapter 688 - 687: Obstinate

Zhou Xueli tossed and turned all night without sleep, and early the next morning, he went to the County Government Office prison.

When he saw Zhou Xuennian and Madam Lu again, Zhou Xueli was momentarily at a loss for a reaction; it felt as though ages had passed since they last stepped out, dressed for the mid-year festivities in proper attire, full of smiles. But now, as the year had ended, the people before him seemed like complete strangers compared to those he remembered.

They were in tattered clothes, with disheveled hair, emaciated, looking no better than beggars.

"Big brother," Zhou Xueli uttered from his throat.

Zhou Xuennian staggered forward and, reaching through the bars, grabbed his clothes: "You finally came, you actually came. I thought you all didn’t care whether we lived or died!"

Madam Lu also crawled over, looking expectantly at Zhou Xueli and asking, "Second Uncle, are you here to take us out?"

Zhou Xueli cast a disgusted glance at her, then turned to Zhou Xuennian, his eyes meeting his brother’s hopeful gaze. With a slight closing of his eyes, which reopened to speak, he said, "Big brother, if only you knew this would be today, why did you do it in the first place?"

Zhou Xuennian’s face darkened.

"Had you listened to mother and not coveted what belonged to them, how could you have ended up in a situation like this?" Zhou Xueli spoke with a pained expression.

"Shut up!" Zhou Xuennian shouted sharply, followed by a coughing fit, and then said, "I am your elder brother, since when is it your turn to lecture me? Just tell me, when will that little wretch let us out?"

"You!" Zhou Xueli gritted his teeth in disgust. "You’re still so obstinately misguided, without a hint of remorse. Do you know that mother has been sick with worry over you?"

Zhou Xuennian turned his face away.

"Fine, fine, I was wrong to come here. I should never have come!" Zhou Xueli said, full of disappointment, preparing to leave.

"Stay right there!" Zhou Xuennian quickly called out to him.

"Second Uncle, Second Uncle, please don’t go."

Zhou Xueli stopped in his tracks, his gaze cold as he looked at the two people who, even now, showed no regret. Truly incorrigible.

Suddenly he remembered what Wufu had said the night before; he had thought it to be an exaggeration, but now it seemed that in the future, they would still make mistakes, commit acts that could not be undone.

"Because of the two of you, mother hasn’t been able to have a peaceful New Year, she can only lie in bed, night after night without sleep. You, as the eldest son and daughter-in-law, show no remorse, but continue to be delusional. Big brother, have all the lessons from sacred and wise books gone to the dogs?" Zhou Xueli accused coldly.

Zhou Xuennian retorted, "What can I do, locked in here without seeing the light of day? Even if I wanted to go out and fulfill my filial duties, it’s impossible!"

"Yes, yes! Second Uncle, it’s not that we don’t want to go out and serve Mother; we just can’t get out!" Madam Lu also cried out. "Second Uncle, please plead with Ying Mei and the others on our behalf again. We’ve had enough!"

Zhou Xueli’s gaze passed over her with a look of contempt. If it wasn’t for this woman, why would the Zhou family’s main branch have fallen to such depths? Dajun wouldn’t be so obstinate, all because of a poorly-chosen wife, and on top of that, she was their eldest daughter-in-law. His father truly made a mistake back then!

"They said that in a few more days the government office will open, and your case will be the first to be judged. I advise you to admit what you must, willingly confess and suffer less. Once you sign, you can come out, but forget about anything else!"

Upon hearing this, Zhou Xuennian’s face turned extremely grim: "Is this what Wufu said, or is it your sister?"

"Does it matter who said it? The decision is in their hands!" Zhou Xueli looked at him sympathetically and said, "Big brother, by now, you should have accepted the reality. We can’t afford to offend her!"

Zhou Xuennian’s knees went weak, and he clenched his lips tightly.

The source of this c𝓸ntent is fr(e)𝒆novelkiss