Chapter 2280

Yu Yan picked up his wine cup and said to You Jinghai, "Jinghai, we haven't drunk together like this in ages—here, I toast you!"

You Jinghai also raised his cup, smiling at Yu Yan, "Yes, it's been at least ten years since we last drank like this—come on, Yan'an, let's drink!"

They drank, then Yu Yan lifted his chopsticks, "Come on, Jinghai, try these dishes—this is Sister Ruoqiu's own restaurant, and the chef is excellent."

You Jinghai tasted a few bites and nodded in praise, "These dishes are truly authentic—delicious!"

Yu Yan said, "If you like them, eat more—don't underestimate this small restaurant; people line up to eat here. If it weren't Sister Ruoqiu's place, I wouldn't even have gotten a table this soon."

You Jinghai sighed, "Your kids are all outstanding—one better than the next—I'm truly envious!"

Mentioning the younger generation, Yu Yan politely replied, "Your children are quite good too, Jinghai."

You Jinghai's own children were decent enough, with two or three holding county- or vice-county-level positions, but You Jinghai knew their abilities—they would never achieve much, nowhere near the caliber of the Yu family's youth.

You Jinghai shook his head, "No, they still can't compare to your Yu family's young ones."

Yu Yan smiled, "Jinghai, you're being too modest."

Since they were speaking of the younger generation, You Jinghai shifted to the real topic: "Yan'an, you've heard about my nephew You Jiayu's situation, right?"

Yu Yan said, "I did hear, but only this afternoon—I was just as surprised."

You Jinghai asked, "Before this, you truly didn't know?"

Yu Yan met You Jinghai's gaze calmly, "I truly didn't know."

You Jinghai said, "Even if you didn't know, can you give me an explanation for this matter?"

Yu Yan replied, "What kind of explanation do you expect from me? Jiayu committed a crime—he must face legal consequences."

You Jinghai still stared into Yu Yan's eyes, "That's not what I mean—you know exactly what I'm referring to."

After a moment's pause, Yu Yan nodded, "Fine. Since you want an explanation, I'll give you one."

With that, Yu Yan pulled a stack of documents from his bag and placed them before You Jinghai, who picked them up and began reading intently.

The documents weren't many, but You Jinghai read them meticulously, word by word, and after over ten minutes, he looked up and said, "Su Xinghui?"

Yu Yan nodded, "Yes—Su Xinghui, the son-in-law of Governor Lu Zhenghong of Qinxi Province."

You Jinghai's heart churned—these documents were clear evidence of You Jiayu's online posts and reposts framing Su Xinghui, and the people who urged Chen Changqiao and Zheng Hansuper to report Su Xinghui were under Jiayu's command.

You Jinghai knew who Su Xinghui was—he was Lu Zhenghong's son-in-law, and Lu Zhenghong was a trusted former subordinate of Gu Shanmin, making Lu Zhenghong a key general of the Yu faction, so Su Xinghui was effectively part of the Yu faction too.

In that case, it was You Jiayu who was in the wrong from the start.

You Jinghai had learned of Su Xinghui's name because of this year's flood relief efforts, when Premier Nan publicly praised him multiple times. Su Xinghui was barely in his twenties, already a county magistrate, and personally commended by the Premier—"promising future" was too weak a phrase; such talent was clearly a key protégé the Yu family was nurturing.

For the Yu family to react this way to Jiayu's actions was only natural.

But You Jinghai still had many questions: Jiayu had lived abroad for years—he had no connection with this Su Xinghui. Why target him?

Thinking this, You Jinghai asked aloud; without understanding the full situation, he couldn't make an accurate judgment or respond appropriately.

Yu Yan spread his hands, "I want to know too. According to my son Yu Ruizhi, Su Xinghui and Jiayu met only once—when Jiayu visited Chongjin County, Su Xinghui treated him warmly and hospitably, and they got along well. I don't know why Jiayu later struck such a vicious blow."

The facts were clear, the evidence undeniable, and Yu Yan wasn't the type to lie. You Jinghai felt his face burn—he'd come to demand an explanation, yet now the situation was reversed: it was the You family that owed the Yu family an apology.

You Jinghai struggled to speak, "Yan'an, you should've told us first—if Jiayu did something wrong, we'd handle him ourselves. Would we not give you an accounting?"

Yu Yan replied calmly, "But when Jiayu moved against Su Xinghui, did your family inform us in advance? How were we to know? If Su Xinghui had suffered real harm, what good would an accounting do? Besides, I only just learned of this—it was the younger generation acting on their own anger, doing it first and telling me afterward."

You Jinghai fell silent. Yes, Jiayu had acted disgracefully—he'd done this entirely on his own. Fortunately, Su Xinghui had the means to defend himself, so no real harm was done. Had it been anyone else, they'd have been ruined.

What accounting could the You family have offered then?

Yu Yan never lied—he truly hadn't known. Jiayu's elders hadn't known either. So it was no surprise that the younger generation, in a moment of anger, had acted impulsively.

You Jinghai sat motionless for a long while, then raised his cup, voice dry, "Yan'an, this cup is the You family's apology to yours—don't hold it against the young ones."

You Jinghai was a few years older than Yu Yan, and their ranks were equal—he'd never wanted to humble himself before Yu Yan. But now, circumstances forced him: Jiayu was still detained, and as long as he was, the You family's face remained swollen—and Jiayu was clearly in the wrong. You Jinghai could no longer hold his pride.

Yu Yan raised his cup and drank with You Jinghai, "I don't want to hold a grudge against the young, but frankly, Jiayu was recklessly bold. This case is serious—wrapping it up easily won't be simple."

You Jinghai gritted his teeth, "He forfeits every cent in his bank accounts—use it all to compensate the victims. Any surplus goes to pay someone else to take his blame. Once Jiayu is released, I'll send him straight to the U. S. and never let him return."

Yu Yan felt a grudging respect for You Jinghai: Jiayu's bank account held substantial funds. After compensating victims, there was still over ten million RMB left—all earned through business. To give up so much so easily?

But in economic cases, restitution is paramount; without major losses, sentencing can be significantly reduced.

Hiring a scapegoat wouldn't cost ten million. The surplus was effectively the You family's apology payment to the Yu family—a point Yu Yan understood perfectly.

Yu Yan nodded, said nothing, raised his cup, and drank again with You Jinghai—both understood everything without words.