The Indifferent Ex-Husband Heartstrings in the Mall of Fate

"Mommy!" Theresa's eyes lit up instantly when she saw Sophia appear on the screen, calling out to her with a voice that danced

with surprise and delight, tender and endearing.

The happiness in her voice was infectious. Sophia responded with a light tone, and then asked her, "Theresa, have you had your

dinner?"

"Uh-hun, all done. Kent just made us dinner," Theresa said, "His cooking is yummy."

Sophia chuckled, "Is that so? Is he still there?"

"Nope," Theresa shook her head, "He's playing with my toys with godmother."

To convince Sophia, Theresa clumsily aimed the phone's camera towards Kent and Susan.

There they were, sitting on the floor right on Theresa's play mat—Susan kneeling and Kent squatting alongside her. The two of

them were happily putting together Theresa's Lego set, occasionally consulting the instruction manual to figure out the patterns.

Kent would call out for a piece, and Susan would eagerly hand it to him.

They were having so much fun they'd almost forgotten about their little host.

"Uncle Kent said he would teachhow to build with Legos, but then he, well, he started teaching godmom instead," Theresa

explained to Sophia with a hint of innocence, her gaze watching the two adults collaborate with glee, "So, | called you."

"It's okay," Sophia reassured her with a smile, "Theresa has every day to play, but Uncle Kent and godmom have work on

weekdays. Can you let them play for a while?"

"Okay." Theresa nodded seriously, her gaze returning to the phone screen. Then, out of curiosity, she asked, "Mommy, are you with

Daddy?"

"Yes, Daddy's here," Sophia said, shifting the camera to Brandon.

Brandon smiled and waved, "Did Theresa miss Mommy and Daddy?"

Theresa nodded.

Then she asked, "Daddy, when are you and Mommy coming back?"

"We'll be back hsoon," Brandon reassured her, "You just play Legos with Uncle Kent and godmom for now, okay?"

Theresa agreed cheerfully, "Okay."

After saying goodbye to Sophia, she hung up the phone.

Brandon checked the time; it was just past eight, still early.

He looked at Sophia.

"Let's head back," Sophia said, "We can't leave Theresa to Susan and Kent."

"They're probably enjoying it."

Brandon's voice was calm, the implication clear in his voice: Whether it was cooking or playing Legos, it seemed to him that

Theresa was just a prop for them to build their relationship.

It was convenient to have the child around as a buffer against any awkward silences that might arise.

Sophia coughed lightly, "Well, there are certain things that are not so convenient with a child around." Like, say, when they were in

the mood for a kiss.

Brandon glanced at her.

Sophia's ears felt a bit warm, discussing this topic with him still felt a tad awkward.

"Let's go," she shifted the subject slightly, looking away and starting to walk back.

Brandon watched her with a hint of amusement, caught up to her, and naturally took her hand in his.

Sophia turned to look at him.

Brandon acted as if he hadn't noticed.

"Let's go," he echoed softly, leading her towards the school gates with her hand in his.

Sophia's fingers twitched, but she didn't retract her hand; instead, she let him guide her back.

The campus road at eight in the evening was long and quiet.

The night wind was strong, tossing leaves into the air, tracing delicate arcs.

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Dimly lit by the scattered streetlights, their shadows elongated and intertwined by the light, dancing together like silent confessors

to their closeness.

They had walked this campus road together before, but this was the first-thand in hand.

Back in the day, after evening self-study, Brandon would often wait for her at the back gate.

He never said he was waiting for her, but she took it for granted that he was. She'd hurriedly pack up her bag, then walk with him.

Back then, they'd blend into the crowd of students leaving school, not talking much, not standing too close, at most he'd casually

grab her hand if she got jostled by the crowd, but their silent covenant was enough to make her heart flutter for a long time.

When the two got home, Kent and Susan were still there. Seeing the large bouquet of roses in Sophia's arms, their eyes moved

from the flowers to Sophia's face, then to Brandon, and back to Sophia.

It was a kind of attention Sophia was unaccustomed to; relationships like this were foreign to her.

It's not that she lacked suitors, but since she knew she couldn't respond to their affections, she'd always politely declined any gifts

or flowers, and when she couldn't refuse, she'd leave them by the trash—never bringing them home. Susan knew her best, so her

shock made Sophia feel even more embarrassed.

"Is today sspecial occasion?"

Kent asked in a panic, his brain frantically trying to recall if he missed something.

Romance wasn't his forte, but even he knew the significance of giving flowers on certain days.

Forgetfulness was Brandon's idiosyncrasy, not his.

Brandon looked at Kent's panicked face and replied coolly, "Yeah."

Kent's brow furrowed even more as he searched his memory for the special occasion while awkwardly apologizing to Susan, "Sorry,

I've been so busy with work lately, I've kind of lost track of the days."

Susan was also perplexed , thinking hard about what special day it might be, while placating Kent, "No worries, I've been home

every day, | don't even know what month it is now."

Only Theresa looked at the roses with wide-eyed joy, "They're so pretty," she said, tiptoeing to get a better look.

Sophia crouched down and brought the flowers closer to her.

Theresa reached out curiously to touch the petals, then quickly retracted her hand, not wanting to cause any damage, and couldn't

help but ask Sophia eagerly, "Mommy, where did these flowers cfrom?"

"Daddy bought them," Sophia whispered to her.

"Then why didn't Daddy buy sfortoo?" Theresa asked Brandon, looking up at him with a puzzled expression.

Brandon crouched down in front of her: "How about we get you sfor Theresa's birthday? Would that be good?"

Theresa nodded: "Okay."

Kent couldn't help but sneakily ask Susan: "Is it Sophia's birthday today?"

Susan shook her head: "No, it is not."

Kent's frown deepened.

He just couldn't figure out what was special about today.

While Susan and Sophia weren't looking, Kent couldn't resist and quietly hit up Brandon: "Boss, what's the occasion today?"

He even lowered his voice, scared to be overheard by others.

Brandon, reaching for something above the liquor cabinet, didn't even lift his eyes: "You don't know what day it is? Seriously?"

Kent was even more confused and anxious: "What is it then?"

Brandon glanced at him: "Figure it out yourself."

With that, he walked over to Theresa.

Theresa was helping Sophia with flower arranging.

Sophia carefully placed a rose into the vase, her eyes soft and serene.

Theresa, propped up on her toes, watched eagerly as her mother arranged the flowers. Both their faces—one looking down, the

other looking up—were pictures of harmony, creating a scene as beautiful as any painting.

Brandon's steps slowed as he looked at the mother and daughter.

Susan just happened to look up and seeing Brandon watching Sophia and Theresa, tactfully chose not to disturb them. She

stealthily pulled Kent, who was secretly Googling what day it was, signaling for them to leave.

Kent followed her gaze and gave a gentle nod towards the family of three.

Sophia looked up just in tto see the two whispering and gave them a puzzled glance.

"We'll head out now," Susan said with a smile.

Sophia nodded with a smile: "Okay."

Brandon also turned to say goodbye, watching the two leave before turning his attention back to Sophia and Theresa.

Sophia had finished with the flowers and, after admiring them for a bit, turned to Theresa and softly suggested it was tfor her

bath and bed since it was getting late.

Theresa nodded.

"I'm going to take Theresa for a bath and to bed," Sophia told Brandon in a soft voice.

"All right."

Brandon nodded, watching Sophia take Theresa into the room, then turned to look at the flowers she had arranged.

They looked great, and just adding them to the room seemed to bring so much warmth to it.

Suddenly, the ringing of a phone broke the cozy atmosphere.

Brandon checked his phone; it was Yvonne.

His fingers hesitated for a moment on the screen.

Sophia cout of the room with clothes for Theresa and saw a change in his expression, glancing subconsciously at the phone in

his hand.

Brandon looked up at her with a normal expression: "All done with the bath?"

"Not yet," Sophia replied, waving the clothes at Brandon, "I just went to the room to find them."

"I'll take Theresa for her bath now."

Sophia walked into the bathroom with Theresa, and Brandon stepped out onto the balcony to take the call.

Calls from Yvonne typically didn't bear good news.

And as expected, Yvonne spoke with concern, "Brother, Dad's condition has worsened again. Do you want to cto the hospital?

He's been complaining tonight that you haven't shown your face the whole the's been sick."

Yvonne's voice trailed off.

"I know," said Brandon and hung up.

He looked out into the vast night sky, put away his phone, and turned back inside.

He let Sophia know in the bathroom: "Something's cup with Don; | need to run over there. It might be late when | get back, so

you and Theresa should go to sleep first."

Sophia turned to look at him and nodded: "Okay."

Brandon then told Theresa: "Daddy has to step out for a bit. After your bath, rest up with Mommy, okay?"

Theresa nodded: "Okay."

She also admonished him: "Daddy, make sure you cback to sleep early too, okay?"

"Will do."

Brandon replied with a smile, said his goodbyes to Sophia, and then left.

Sophia watched him go, frowning slightly in confusion, but quickly refocused her attention on Theresa.

Back at the hospital, he coordinated a story with Don over the phone, just in case he let something slip.

When he arrived at the hospital, Daniel was still languishing in bed, looking weak and worn.

Patricia was also there, caring for him.

Seeing Brandon walk in, Daniel's face turned cold, and he turned away, silent.

Brandon didn't speak either.

Eventually, Daniel couldn't hold back and turned to Brandon: "Are you with Sophia now?"

"Take care of yourself first," Brandon replied, trying to keep his voice steady and calm.

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"Just answer me," demanded Daniel, his voice weak but his tone surprisingly firm.

Brandon glanced at him, "Dad, do you want to go back into surgery and have your head cut open again?"

Patricia, frightened by the brewing conflict, quickly intervened, "Brandon, there are better ways to speak. Your father can't handle

stress right now."

Brandon took a deep breath and said to Daniel: " Dad, let's talk about this after you've recovered. For now, you need to focus on

your health. Can you do that?"

His voice was as low as it could go.

Daniel snorted softly, his tone softening: "lI know my own body."

Brandon didn't reply.

"Brandon," Daniel's tone softened a lot, "I'm just looking out for you. You've always been a sentimental guy, and I'm worried that

her whole family will drag you down. It's not about the money—our family isn't hurting to support them. It's not about the money;

our family has plenty. It's that they're unreliable and can be easily manipulated, which could be troubling. If one day I'm gone,

there'll be no one to watch out for you."

"I can handle my own stuff, you don't need to worry," Brandon said quietly. "Just focus on getting better."

Daniel didn't say anything more and dropped his grimace.

But a body weakened by serious illness is never the same, and Daniel couldn't stay awake for long. He soon fell asleep.

Brandon sat in the hospital room for a while before getting up to leave.

Patricia walked him out.

"Brandon, even though your dad can be a bit harsh sometimes, he's really got your best interests at heart," Patricia whispered as

she gently closed the door. "Don't butt heads with him. You know the saying, 'you are the company you keep," and how good can a

girl from Sophia's kind of family really be."

"Just take good care of my dad," Brandon cut her off coldly. "Mind your own business on the rest."

With that, Brandon turned and walked away.

When he got home, Sophia and Theresa were already asleep.

Her sleeping face was as usual—peaceful, undisturbed by the world, not seeking or striving for attention.

Brandon sat on the edge of the bed, watching the sleeping Sophia, unable to make a move.

She was simply leading a quiet life, diligently toiling in her small corner of the world, never threatening or troubling anyone. Yet,

seemingly, her roots had becan inadvertent sin.

Misunderstood, unaccepted, everything she did or didn't do was overly scrutinized, even her calmness was misconstrued as having

ulterior motives.

Brandon felt a lump in his throat and gently grasped her hand—a slight movement that inadvertently woke her.

"You're back?"

She asked softly.

"Yeah," Brandon replied softly, not letting go of her hand.

Sophia sensed something unusual about Brandon tonight.

"What's wrong?" she asked softly.

"It's nothing." After a husky reply, Brandon bent down and gently kissed her—A very light and tender kiss, devoid of lust, but tinged

with pity.

Sophia couldn't quite make sense of it, and stared at him, puzzled.

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