The Indifferent Ex-Husband Heartstrings in the Mall of Fate

On the way back, Sophia and Louis were among those sharing a ride in the scar.

Gerald was behind the wheel, with Rachel riding shotgun.

Sophia joined Louis and Renata in the back seat.

Maybe it was the comfort of being in the car, but Renata's grip on Sophia's hand relaxed a lot. She just held Sophia's hand gently in

hers, caressing it back and forth without a word, just looking at Sophia with this mix of heartache and nostalgia.

Sophia felt a bit awkward under her gaze, kind of like she was wearing someone else's shoes.

Louis noticed her discomfort and softly reassured her, saying.

"Sweetheart, don't mind it. Yoli is my granddaughter. She got lost when she was just a kid, and after searching for over a decade,

we never found her. My wife always kept her in her thoughts, especially these past few years with the disease setting in. She forgot

everyone but always remembered her missing granddaughter."

Sophia gave an awkward chuckle, not quite sure how to respond.

Louis went on. "We finally found her two years ago, but by then, Renata had lost all her memories. She couldn't even recognize her

own granddaughter standing right in front of her. Now, she goes up to any young girl she sees on the street to see if it's her. She

probably mistook you for Yoli because you two are around the sage."

No sooner had he finished speaking than Renata blurted out a scolding, "Nonsense, she is my Yoli."

Seeing Renata getting agitated again, Louis quickly wrapped his arm around her shoulder, soothingly saying, "Alright, alright, she

is Yoli. Don't get upset; getting worked up is bad for your health."

Eventually, Renata settled down again, naturally leaning on Louis's shoulder.

Sophia looked at the loving couple and felt a pang of envy.

"As a couple, you have such a great relationship," she couldn't help but remark.

"Thank you," Louis said, accepting her compliment, but then his expression turned a bit wistful and regretful, "Unfortunately, after

she fell ill, she forgot everything."

Seeing his downcast look, Rachel turned to comfort him, "Dad, don't worry. Didn't Martin say he's going to recreate all the places

you and mom visited when you were young in the estate over the next two years? Maybe that will help Mom remember some

things."

Sophia paused and looked at Rachel.

Rachel smiled at Sophia and explained.

"My parents have always been so in love. They traveled to many places together when they were young, and that's where they fell

for each other.

"A few years ago, they were planning to revisit those places to rekindle those memories, but before they could even set off, my

dad almost had a stroke. He couldn't make the trip, and by the the got a bit better, my mom had developed Alzheimer's and

forgot everything except for a few spots where they had made their sweetest memories.

"Dad wanted to take her there again, but neither of them can handle the strain of travel anymore, so he thought of fulfilling a

promise they made when they were young: to recreate those special places in the estate to see if that could trigger sof her

memories."

As she spoke, Rachel pulled out an old photo album from the pocket behind the back seat. "Look, these are all the places they've

been. My mom doesn't remember anything now, but she still treasures this album and takes it everywhere."

Sophia took the album Rachel handed her.

It was similar to the one Martin had shown her the other day, but this album was obviously reprinted more recently and looked

newer.

As she flipped through the album, it was clear that the couple was very sweet together.

She glanced over at the two old folks.

Perhaps Rachel's words had stirred something in Louis, as his expression grew more melancholic.

"| don't know if we still have time," he murmured, looking at Renata, who was still gazing at Sophia with a dazed affection, "When

you're young, you always think there's time, no rush, but then."

"Dad, what are you moping about? Once the design is finalized, we'll hire a few more construction crews and get it done within a

year. No need for such gloomy talk," Rachel chided gently.

From the driver's seat, Gerald chimed in with a gentle reassurance.

Louis glanced at him, his sadness not quite eased, and seeing Sophia looking on, he felt a bit embarrassed. "Miss, we're just

rambling about family stuff, don't mind us."

Sophia smiled back. "No worries."

Her gaze drifted out the car window unintentionally, and she realized they had entered a residential area.

This was West district's original affluent neighborhood, a bit aged now, with private villas enclosed by tile walls and iron fences, the

latter of which were overgrown with lush greenery.

Towering trees lined the road, their branches dense and interwoven, all exuding an air of times gone by.

Sophia looked out at the vintage fences and trees, feeling a bit dazed.

"We're here."

Gerald's voice brought Sophia back from her reverie. She hesitated, then followed the others out of the car.

Tall plane trees cinto view, lined up neatly one after another.

Their branches intertwined over the road, forming a canopy of leaves. Under the early autumn breeze, the ground was scattered

with yellow leaves that twirled gracefully in the fading light.

Two neighboring villas sat in the dark, their black iron fences overgrown with morning glories, and the yards' lush greenery spilling

out over the boundaries.

The villa on the left was dark, looking a bit rundown, and overgrown with weeds, clearly uninhabited for stime.

The villa on the right, however, still had lights shining through.

These two villas didn't have walls or fences separating them like the others. Instead, they stood open to each other.

One side derelict, the other alive with warmth, the contrast gave the left side an air of desolate decay.

Whether it was the facade of the villas, the style of the fences, or the thick, uneven growth of the trees, everything bore the mark

of an era, as if viewed through a filter of the years.

Sophia stared at the two villas. Her gaze drifted from the lit villa to the dilapidated, unoccupied one next door. Her feet, as if of

their own accord, led her unconsciously towards it.

Rachel, who had turned back, noticed Sophia's strange behavior and called out to her in confusion, "Sophia?"

She remembered this girl had just introduced herself as "Sophia."

Sophia looked back, her expression bewildered, tears welling in her eyes, but her entire demeanor was vacant and dazed, as if she

had lost her soul, unaware of where she was.

Rachel, startled by her reaction, rushed over in concern, "Sophia, what's wrong?"

Sophia was snapped back to reality for a sec when someone grabbed her arm and it hurt like hell, but she was still out of it, just

staring blankly at Rachel in front of her and the worried faces of others coming over. Her gaze drifted aimlessly over the sea of

strange yet concerned faces before landing on the rundown yard. No idea why, but suddenly her nose got all tingly, and bam, the

tears just started pouring down like there was no tomorrow.

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