Chapter 32 Love At First Sight


    The dazzling moonlight lit up Ryan''s perfect face. Surprised, Fiona asked in a low voice, "So what did


    you want to tell me?"


    He slowly stood up and gazed at her face, his heart was beating so hard he was afraid it might jump


    out of his chest.


    "Well, there is a post about you on our school forum, Fiona. I don''t know if you''ve seen it yet," Ryan


    began tentatively watching her reaction.


    "You''ve seen it, too?" Fiona was a little embarrassed. "I don''t know who has taken those photos."


    "Well, are you really dating the drillmaster?" he asked anxiously.


    "No!" Fiona replied shaking her head. "We just know each other. That''s all."


    "Phew! Thank God!" Ryan said happily, letting out a sigh of relief.


    "Is that all that you wanted to ask?" Fiona asked feeling amused at the look of relief on his face.


    "No, actually there is one more thing," he said nervously. "Haven''t you noticed that many people want


    to get to know you better?"


    "Me? Why?" Fiona frowned and shook her head. "I saw the post, but I didn''t notice that. Who wants to


    know me better?"


    "A lot of people! Mostly boys," Ryan said. "They want to date you."


    Fiona was very embarrassed. She stammered, "Ryan, I... Let''s not talk about this. The post has been


    deleted. It''s pointless..."


    "Yes, of course!" Ryan said hurriedly. "I just found the post to be very interesting because now I


    understand how lucky I am."


    Fiona was stumped. It was easier for her to crack a math problem than figure out Ryan.


    Seeing that she was confused, heughed and confessed, "I love you, Fiona."


    His words fell softly in her ears


    like a gentle breeze.


    She was too stunned to react. Looking into his eyes, she felt so warm and fuzzy inside. She felt like


    she was floating on a cloud.


    "But I''m not sure how you feel about me," he continued, running a hand through his hair. "You''re an


    amazing girl and many boys want to be with you, myself included. I don''t know if the odds are in my


    favor. But at the same time, I feel I''m lucky to have met you before the others. I''m confessing my


    feelings to you because I''m afraid that it would be toote if I waited too long."


    Fiona had often received such proposals and she had refused many times.


    But tonight was different. She had always wondered why Ryan treated her so well, but she had never


    expected him to confess his love to her. His confession had caught her off guard.


    "You know, the first time I saw see you wasn''t near theke in our campus," he said sheepishly. He


    opened up to her slowly in an attempt to find a way into Fiona''s heart. "The first time I saw you, you


    were standing in front of an advertisement at a bus station with a sketchpad in your hand. You took my


    breath away. I thought how could a girl be so beautiful and serene? I fell in love with you at first sight!"


    Fiona''s loud heartbeat


    echoed in her ears. It was the first time he had admitted his true feelings to her.


    "Ryan." Fiona didn''t realize that her face was as red as an apple. After a long pause, she tried to say


    something but she fumbled, "I... Uh, this is..."


    "I know, I know. This is all too sudden for you!" Ryan said to put her at ease. He was equally nervous.


    Proposing to Fiona made him realize how brave those girls, who had expressed their love to him, had


    been. "You don''t have to answer me right away. I just want you to know that I love you."


    The atmosphere changed between them. Both of them were breathing slowly and gazing at each other


    silently.


    A long moment passed before Fiona said anything. When her heart rate returned to normal, she said, "I


    understand. But I..."


    "Fiona, please don''t refuse. At least, not so soon!" he cut in.


    When he heard her say the word "but," his heart broke. "Please give me one chance. At least think


    about it for some days?"


    Looking at the desperation on his face, Fiona kept bit back her protest and nodded.


    "Great! Thank you!" Ryan was thrilled. His smile was as bright as fireworks in the night sky.


    "I will try my best to win your heart, Fiona!" he said excitedly. Ryan panicked and didn''t know whether


    he should make a move or just leave it at that. Eventually, he said hoarsely, "I will definitely convince


    you to be my girlfriend!"


    ''Girlfriend?''


    Fiona blushed and lowered her head. She stared at her feet and mumbled, "I...I need to leave."


    "Okay." Ryan nodded. "It''s gettingte. You''d better go back and get some rest."


    "Bye!" Fiona nodded, turned around and rushed to her dormitory building.


    Watching her disappear into her dorm, Ryan turned around and walked back to his own dormitory. He


    started walking faster and faster as a bubble of excitement grew in his heart making him grin from ear


    to ear.


    He was nervous when he went to meet her, but thrilled when he returned.


    The wind was whistling in his ears. He felt like a man who was chasing after a dream and had finally


    fulfilled a small part of it.


    When Ryan and Fiona both left the scene, a slender figure emerged from the shadows near the


    dormitory building. She gazed at him with a crazy obsession in her watery eyes.


    Meanwhile, Fiona was back in her dormitory room. She climbed into bed.


    E was applying a face mask when she saw Fionaing in hurriedly. She questioned her, "What did


    you do outside? Why did you return in such a hurry?"


    "It''s nothing," Fiona replied automatically.


    "Humph! You are behaving as strange as Leona. She, too, went out not long after you left. Are you two


    up to something together?"


    "Hey! Why are your cheeks red, Fiona? Did you get sunburned?" Sophia asked peering at her rosy


    cheeks.


    "No!" Fiona swallowed. "I was just walking fast, so maybe my cheeks turned red because of that.


    Anyway, I''m too tired today. I am going to bed early!"


    Suddenly, the door opened and Leona walked in sullenly. She quietly got into bed.


    "Oh God! Not another one!" Eined when she noticed that Leona was not in good mood either.


    "Now why are you so upset? And where have you been?"


    Just like Fiona, Leona, too, remained silent.


    Sophia muttered, "You''re asking for it. E, you''d better shut up and go to sleep!"


    "Ugh! This is so boring!" E stretched and went to the bathroom to wash off her facial mask.


    Fiona finally rxed and leaned back against her pillow. Her face suddenly turned pale as she


    remembered Spencer.


    Irrespective of whether it was a fake marriage or a real one, she was going to get married to Spencer.


    This meant she was in no position to ept Ryan.


    The blood drained from her cheeks. ''I promised Ryan that I would think about it but that''s really


    inappropriate on my part. I must make it clear to him that nothing can happen between us. But what


    should I tell him?''


    "s!" Fiona sighed and turned on her side. She was ovee with great self-pity. The past ten years


    had been very difficult for her. Would her future be just as horrible? She was being forced to marry a


    guy, who hated her deeply.


    She tossed and turned in her bed.


    She thought of Ryan''s gorgeous smile in the moonlight, and desire red in her heart. An inner voice


    said, "Fiona, don''t get married to Spencer. Ryan is so gentle and considerate. Be with him instead! You


    have a crush on him, don''t you? And you once considered breaking off the engagement to Spencer,


    didn''t you?"


    Feelings of hesitation, confusion and trepidation swirled inside her like a storm.


    It was the first time she''d felt so helpless. She couldn''t choose the man she liked. She was stuck in the


    stupid agreement with Spencer.


    The next morning Fiona woke up and sshed water on her face several times. She had not slept at


    all. She was exhausted and, on top of that, her period started too. However, it was time for military


    training so she had to get dressed and leave even though she looked like a zombie!


    "Hurry up, sleepyhead! We''re going to bete!" Sophia urged, dragging her towards the yground.


    "Okay, okay, I''ming!" Fiona groaned and put her hand on her belly.


    On the yground, Spencer had been waiting for the students. It was time to begin, but Fiona was


    trudging at a cial pace. He roared, "Hurry up! There''s still one minute left. Anyone who iste will run


    for twentyps!"


    "Come one! Move it!" Without waiting for a response from Fiona, Sophia yanked her and started


    running. Fiona didn''t have the time to exin that she felt sick and a little nauseous.


    Spencer shot her an annoyed nce but said nothing. Then he began the drill.


    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!


    Spencer straightened his spine and announced loudly, "First row, call out your numbers!"


    "One!"


    "Two!"


    "Three!"


    "Four!"


    "Five..." Fiona tried her best but failed to keep up. Spencer was immediately pissed off. He went and


    stood right in front of her, squinted and yelled, "Louder!"


    Fiona took a deep breath and tried to shout with all her might, "Five!"


    "Count again!"


    "One!"


    "Two!"


    "Three!"


    "Four!"


    "Five!"


    "Again!" Spencermanded.


    He repeated this drill three times. Fiona could tell the other girls began to hate her.


    "Either run twentyps or count again! Pick one," Spencer barked at her. He stood with his hands


    sped behind his back exhibiting an upromising stance.