Chapter 423:

Elyse, gently holding Jayden’s hand, asked worriedly, “Are you still feeling unwell?”

Jayden nodded. “Yes,” he said, adding, “It hurts quite a bit.”

The driver glanced at Jayden in the rearview mirror skeptically.

Elyse seemed oblivious to Jayden’s exaggerated discomfort. The driver, who had previously doubted Elyse’s deep love for Jayden, now found it evident.

Elyse gently caressed Jayden’s cheek, reassuring him, “We’ll be at the hospital soon. Peyton will check you out, and you’ll be okay.”

Jayden nodded, closed his eyes, and further exaggerated his weakness.

At the hospital, Peyton raised an eyebrow at Elyse’s description of Jayden’s condition. “He’s in a lot of pain, you say?”

Elyse nodded earnestly. “Please check him quickly,” she urged. “He’s really suffering.”

Peyton touched his nose, looking confused. He glanced at Jayden, who shot him a menacing look.

Understanding the hint, Peyton took control of Jayden’s wheelchair, wheeled him into his office, and began to close the door.

Elyse started to follow, but Peyton raised a hand. “Family members usually wait outside during this type of exam,” he explained, as she looked puzzled.

Elyse nodded, reluctantly retreated, and sat down in the hospital corridor.

Just then, her phone rang. It was Gavin. She suddenly remembered leaving the concert hall abruptly without telling anyone.

She answered, apologizing, “I’m sorry, Gavin. I left in a hurry.”

Gavin replied, “It’s fine. I figured you might have left, so Irving, Fiona, and I left too. Rest up today. Tomorrow we start intensive practice. Hope you’re ready.”

Hearing this, Elyse turned pale. The previous days had nearly broken her, and those weren't even intensive sessions.

Elyse hung up, her mind filled with dread. Her immediate concern, however, remained Jayden. She was clueless about the nature and extent of his supposed injury.

Back in Peyton’s office, Peyton stood arms crossed, asking, “Are you actually sick? You don’t seem hurt. What’s all this about?”

Jayden, relaxed in the wheelchair, responded, “Can’t you just note something down in my medical records?”

Peyton laughed. “What’s this? Playing the wounded hero?”

Jayden shook his head, wagging a finger. “You don’t get it. It’s not often you get a chance like this. I’m doing it to strengthen my bond with Elyse.”

Peyton laughed sarcastically. “Really, buddy? You’re deceiving your wife again. Don’t you worry that it might come back to haunt you one day?”

Jayden looked incredulous. “Deceiving? I call it strategizing.”

“Alright, alright, you win. I’m not going to debate this with you,” Peyton said, sitting down and beginning to fill out the medical records. He casually prescribed some ointment for external injuries and handed the prescription to Jayden. “Anyway,” he commented, “if someone wants to give my hospital some business, I’m all for it.”

Jayden checked the prescription several times, then responded with satisfaction, “Next time I need something, I’ll come to you.”

Peyton, exasperated, said, “Just go already.”

When Elyse saw Jayden emerge from the doctor’s office, she rushed over, asking, “How are you? Is it serious?”

Jayden shook his head. “Just a surface injury. A bit of this ointment and I’ll be good in a couple of days.”

Relieved, Elyse sighed, grateful that Jayden’s condition wasn’t serious.