The Indifferent Ex-Husband: Heartstrings in the Mall of Fate novel Chapter 594

Sophia pulled an all-nighter to finish the design for the science museum.

It wasn’t intentional to stay up late or rush the project, but picking up a pencil seemed to fill her blank mind with substance. Designing was as natural to her as eating, and picking up a pencil was like grabbing utensils – different architectural models would naturally pop into her mind, and her hand would instinctively bring those models to life on paper as if it had a mind of its own.

It had pretty much become an instinct.

The brain has its own muscle memory. Sophia was grateful for this muscle memory; the moment she picked up a pencil, she could quickly immerse herself in her designed utopia, losing track of time and surroundings, sinking into the work for hours on end, preventing her life from feeling too empty.

It had become her go-to form of escapism.

This science museum project was no different. She wasn’t after anything in particular; it was just that in her quiet moments, she needed something to do to escape from this unfamiliar world.

The museum’s requirements were detailed and specific, which, for someone who had been bedridden and left to her own devices for a while, was an exciting challenge that got her blood pumping. With such tempting bait, Sophia easily got absorbed in the work.

West District High School was a stranger to her, yet there was a strong sense of familiarity and nostalgia in her memory. She didn’t even need to look at the school’s history or the specific layout and style of the buildings; a science museum design that fit well with the school’s architectural style and history was already forming in her brain.

Sophia pretty much breezed through the design in one go. She loved it and was satisfied with it, and without much expectation for feedback, she sent the design off to the email address listed in the announcement. The creative process had calmed her mind and brought back a long-lost sense of fulfillment and joy, as if this was what her life was meant to be.

She had spent most of her recent time in a hospital bed. From the first time she woke up to when she was able to get out of bed and move around, it took over a month. Then from being able to get out of bed to walking freely like a normal person took another month or so.

Her severe injuries and weakness meant she spent more time asleep than awake in those two months, and her lack of energy and spirit meant she couldn’t afford to think too much about anything. The narrow world of the hospital room also meant she didn’t need to care about what the real world was like.

Today was the first time she really stepped out and started engaging with the world since she woke up. To be honest, she was a bit lost and scared about this reality where she didn’t know where she came from or where she was going.

But the moment she picked up the pencil, her mind was steadfast. The instant the work took shape, the vague sense of “this is her life” alleviated her fear of the unknown world. So, she sent off the design with a heart full of gratitude.

What Sophia didn’t expect was to get a reply from the owner of the email the very next day, saying they loved her design and asking for her quote. This was a pleasant surprise for Sophia, a little thrill of being recognized. If she hadn’t been alone and financially strapped, she might have even given it away for free.

In the end, Sophia quoted a relatively low price, and to her surprise, the client agreed without hesitation, almost as if they were afraid she’d change her mind, and sent her a deposit that evening, arranging to meet with her the next day for a face-to-face discussion.

Naturally, Sophia was thrilled to have her work and abilities recognized so quickly and agreed to the meeting. Perhaps for ease of on-site discussion and inspection, the client didn’t arrange a far-off location but chose the “West District Sky Street Mall” right next to the school, coincidentally the same mall Sophia and Amanda Harvey Ferber Clark had passed by the other day.