Redemption's Inferno

: Blind Love

2.

It's hard to imagine, but for all four years of university, my attention was focused solely on Sean Valerius—all because I was so in love with him back then.

Those layered memories washed over me again, threatening to drown me.

Back then, I never dared to take the initiative for this love, yet everywhere I looked, there he was.

I couldn't bring myself to do what they do in TV dramas, like deliberately falling down in front of Sean Valerius and refusing to get up.

Then crying out pitifully, "Hey, handsome, please help me!"

Or asking my best friends to get his WeChat for me.

Or publicly declaring my affection for him on the Campus Confessions Wall.

Sean Valerius's love was something I could only dream of, always out of reach.

He once told me with deep affection, "Serena Sterling, I've actually liked you for a long time."

His words plunged me into a joy so deep I couldn't pull myself out of it for a long, long time.

After I accepted Sean Valerius's confession, something unexpected happened: he fell gravely ill.

One night, during a violent storm, he insisted on going to see an old friend. He ended up getting soaked and catching acute pneumonia.

He was gentle and refined, with a calm and mild temperament.

He already looked delicate, but after falling ill, he became frighteningly thin.

He was in agony every day. When I tried to feed him porridge, he would frown and say, "I have no appetite. You should go to class. Don't worry about me."

How could I bear to leave? I coaxed him in a soft voice, "Just one spoonful, okay?"

Watching him force it down, my own heart twisted in pain.

His tastes were pickier than I'd imagined. He didn't like cilantro or onions, couldn't eat anything spicy, and couldn't even tolerate a single shred of ginger in dishes with a strong, gamey smell.

I turned out to be a little genius in the kitchen, and I took great care of his dietary needs.

When I cooked his favorite dishes for him, I would even take a taxi to a market far away just for one fresh ingredient.

I thought the hospital's public washing machines were dirty, so I hand-washed all of Sean Valerius's clothes myself.

Under my attentive care, Sean Valerius finally recovered.

Once he was better, Sean Valerius was considerate and warm—the perfect boyfriend everyone envied.

Sean Valerius would wait for me outside the women's dorm every day after my classes ended.

He'd attend classes with me, bring me my favorite milk tea, and order me the newest chocolate sundae.

Our classmates always liked to tease us, making jokes that made my face flush and my heart race.

At moments like that, I never knew where to look, so I would just gaze at Sean Valerius with a bashful smile.

Sean Valerius would then gently pull me close and warn everyone, "Alright, break it up. Don't tease Serena Sterling."

This would only be met with another round of even more exaggerated, suggestive laughter.

Sean Valerius was great at planning little surprises. On special holidays, I would always receive the most unique gifts.

For our first Valentine's Day together, I received a bouquet of roses made of chocolate.

And a pair of sparkling high heels.

The perfumed card read: Sean Valerius will forever love Serena Sterling.

We were just like most inseparable couples, deeply attached to one another.

At least, that's what I thought.

Back then, I sometimes felt that something was off with Sean Valerius. He had a habit of staring blankly at a certain spot for a long time.

I didn't know whose spot it was.

Or what it represented.

Once, during a break between classes, he was leaning on my shoulder, half-asleep, and mumbled a name: "Eve Shaw."

But I chose to ignore it. 'Everyone has a past,' I thought, 'and that past is a part of Sean Valerius, too.'

Until one day, Eve Shaw suddenly appeared before us.

The girl stood in the crowd, her smile radiant. She had shoulder-length hair and wore a snow-white gossamer dress, looking gentle and beautiful.

At the time, I didn't understand why two people who were supposedly strangers would have such a strong reaction upon seeing each other.

Eve Shaw saw my arm linked with Sean Valerius's and asked him with a choke in her voice, "Who is she?"

"It's none of your business!" Sean Valerius's gentle demeanor vanished. He snapped harshly at Eve Shaw, then grabbed my hand and pulled me away.

We stumbled along.

"Sean Valerius," I said, stopping to rub the back of my hand, which had been scratched by a plum branch. "What's wrong?"

"I'm sorry, I..." He looked at me, his eyes filled with a hidden pain. "Serena Sterling, I like you."

He pulled me into his arms and, without any warning, pressed his lips to mine.

In that moment, my mind went completely blank.

What I didn't know then was that Sean Valerius had suddenly lost control because Eve Shaw was standing right behind me.

The person Sean Valerius had braved the storm to see back then was also Eve Shaw.

And yet there I was, still completely oblivious, dreaming about my future with Sean Valerius.