Chapter 875:

His playful response only made Elyse feel more self-conscious, almost as if she were commanding him like a servant. After a few moments, Jayden stood up, neatly folded the handkerchief, and slipped it into his pocket. “Let’s go. I’ll walk you back,” he said. Elyse’s irritation grew at seeing him pocket the handkerchief, and she snapped, “I don’t need it!” Jayden responded solemnly, “I pushed you into this and kept you close. I can’t let you face everything alone. If we go back together, no one will question your absence.” Despite his insistence, Elyse felt reluctant. After their intimate moment, she found it hard to act as if nothing had happened and to be seen with him in public. But Jayden didn’t give her a chance to object. He wrapped his arm around her waist and guided her downstairs. After taking a few steps, Elyse felt her legs weaken, causing her to stumble. Jayden quickly reacted, helping her keep her balance. “You don’t need to hold me,” Elyse muttered, glaring at him. Jayden looked at Elyse with a playful tilt of his head and a slight smile. Gritting her teeth, Elyse scolded him, “This is all your fault. How can you laugh now?” Jayden shook his head. “I laugh because I’m relieved. It’s been so long since we’ve been close.” Caught off guard by his words, Elyse was momentarily speechless. Together, they returned to the banquet hall. “I feel much better now. You can let go,” Elyse said, feeling steadier as they walked on level ground. She gently pushed Jayden away. Jayden gave her a thoughtful look, realizing that she hadn’t fully reconciled with him. “Okay. After you,” he said, nodding and stepping aside. Elyse glanced at Jayden, noticing he seemed unusually relaxed, without his usual troublesome behavior. She wondered if he had changed but didn’t ask him directly. Returning to Cody’s table, they saw several people gathered around Cody, who appeared to be with his old friends, sharing drinks and laughing. Upon seeing Elyse, Simon grinned and called out, “Cody, your student is back. Where did you disappear to, Elyse? What took you so long?” Feeling a bit awkward, Elyse instinctively glanced at Jayden before replying, “Uh, nowhere really. I ran into someone I know and stopped to chat.” Cody and Irving both exchanged quick glances at Jayden. When Cody caught sight of Jayden, he was tempted to greet him but quickly remembered how Jayden had treated Elyse, trying to prevent her from participating in the competition. Feeling annoyed, Cody held back. Sensing Cody’s dislike, Jayden decided to break the ice himself. “Hello, Mr. Tucker. It’s been a while. How have you been?” Cody responded with a cold stare and replied through gritted teeth, “I’m fine, thank you.”