The Indifferent Ex-Husband Heartstrings in the Mall of Fate

The girl barely reached up to Brandon's shoulders, looking up at him with an expression that was a mix of feeling wronged and

pitifully adorable. But the slight bite on her lower lip and the tears whirling in her youthful, vibrant eyes couldn't hide her spunk

and vitality.

Clearly, she was a lively, gutsy beauty who had no qualms about chasing love.

Sophia suddenly found herself green with envy over the girl's fearless audacity. She had dreamed of such scenes countless times in

her youth but never had the guts to act on them.

Back then, Sophia was acutely aware of the gulf between her and Brandon. He was the golden boy, and she, just a nondescript

transfer student. The stark reality of their differences kept her from uttering even a word of her affection for him.

She clung to the warmth he brought her, afraid that if she punctured that delicate bubble, Brandon might recoil, leaving her

without even that last bit of comfort. So, she tiptoed around her feelings, too scared to let Brandon catch even a hint.

When Brandon started to pull away, it broke her heart for the longest time. She even spent ages reflecting if she had accidentally

let her feelings slip, causing him to keep his distance.

She was racked with guilt over such thoughts. He didn't seek her out, and she dared even less to disturb him.

So, after the tests, she chose to completely leave the class she had joined halfway through.

Even if she could turn back tto the year she met Brandon, Sophia knew she still wouldn't have the guts to pursue love as

fiercely and boldly as the girl before her.

She was different from the girl in front of her. For the girl, Brandon might just be a passing fancy, her crush perhaps just a result of

his good looks or a fleeting moment that made her heart race. If she managed to win him over, she'd hit the jackpot, but if not, she

wouldn't lose anything.

But for Sophia, it was different.

Her feelings for Brandon had grown from spending days together, a slow-burning affection kindled by every little bit of warmth he

offered.

Her fondness was a tapestry woven from over two hundred days and nights spent together, each moment precious to her.

She treasured the days with him, as well as the friendship they shared. Winning the gamble meant everything, but losing meant

losing the only person in the world who could give her warmth.

That was why she couldn't gamble, the stakes were too high.

The girl was oblivious to the onlookers, but as she saw Brandon frowning, eyes reddened and teary, she choked out,

"Brandon, | have feelings for you; | really do. It's okay if you don't feel the sright now, | can wait for you to fall for me."

Her bold confession sent a ripple of excitement through the crowd - senvious, sadmiring, others dismissive.

Brandon was tall and well-built, with a handsface and a commanding presence, a graduate from a prestigious school, decisive

in action, and the big boss of a company.

Naturally, there were quite a few girls at the company secretly crushing on him, but most were sober enough to acknowledge the

gap between them, and only a few had the courage to pursue him.

And none had ever dared to stop him in public to confess their feelings - until this girl.

The onlookers were filled with a mix of emotions, their eyes inevitably drawn to Brandon as he stood there, his handsface

expressionless, unflinching in the face of the declaration.

Instead of looking at Tia, his gaze wandered to the security room, but as he looked up, he caught sight of Sophia, who had been

pushed to the front row by the crowd.

She was staring blankly at Tia, lost in a daze. In her eyes, Brandon saw envy and a thick, almost tangible nostalgia. It was a deep

longing and envy that made him think of Sophia at seventeen.

On her birthday that winter night, she sat alone at the deserted bus stop, lost in thought. When she looked up and saw him

standing before her, her eyes flickered with surprise and emotion.

Her eyes were already red, but she was fighting back tears, her gaze filled with joy.

Now, through the bright sunlight, Brandon saw the tears swirling in her eyes, the only difference being that those eyes no longer

held the sheer joy of her seventeenth year, just lingering envy and nostalgia.

No jealousy, no bitterness, just envy, nostalgia, and a nearly ethereal sorrow.

Brandon turned his head away, trying not to care, but his mind was filled with the memory of that night on her seventeenth

birthday, the surprised delight in her eyes when she looked up at him, and just now, the daze and envy in her gaze.

This envy even contained a faint sense of relief, a comfort that cfrom seeing someone else achieve what she couldn't.

A twinge of pain flickered through his heart.

Allowing his gaze to fall back on Sophia in the crowd, Brandon found that she was still lost in thought, looking at Tia, although the

nostalgia in her eyes was slowly fading, leaving only envy and well-wishing, along with an indefinable sense of loneliness.

Brandon's eyelids drooped slightly, and then, he turned and walked toward her. As his tall figure passed by, Tia's expression froze

on her face.

The crowd watched in astonishment as Brandon stopped in front of Sophia. When the shadow loomed over her, Sophia instinctively

looked up, and upon seeing Brandon gazing down at her, she paused, slightly disoriented.

"Have you eaten?"

Brandon asked softly, his voice gentle - a stark contrast to the tense atmosphere of the past few days. Sophia, still caught in a

daze, shook her head instinctively.

"I haven't either." Brandon said, "Let's eat together."

"Okay."

She nodded, another automatic response.

It wasn't until Brandon had accompanied her to get her meal and they sat down at an empty table in the corner of the restaurant

that Sophia began to cback to reality.

What followed was an indescribable awkwardness, "Who was that girl, anyway?"

Sophia asked, trying to break the ice with that topic.

"A client's daughter," Brandon replied, his voice still calm.

"She's very pretty," Sophia murmured softly, not quite sure how to handle the sudden change from tension to tranquility.

Brandon made a light response, looked up at her but said nothing more.

Sophia's discomfort intensified. She forced a smile, which felt odd, and it froze awkwardly on her face, leaving her feeling out of

place. Brandon's lips briefly curved in a faint smile, which he quickly suppressed.

"Feeling any better?"

He asked, still with a gentle and peaceful tone, like catching up with an old friend, reminiscing about the good old days.

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