Chapter 232 Dream On!
Chapter 232 Dream On!
As the applause thundered and everyone was moved to tears by the powerful declaration, Benjamin's expression grew increasingly peculiar.
He didn't clap. His body tensed, brows furrowed, eyes fixed on Zoey, yet uncontrollably darting to the two heavy, intricately carved wooden doors at the back of the hall.
His gaze held shock, a fierce internal struggle, deep-seated worry, and even a barely noticeable, almost anxious anticipation.
It was as if he was waiting for something, yet dreading it at the same time.
Just as the applause reached its peak, and Zoey, with tears in her eyes, prepared to bow in gratitude—
A loud, thunderous crash, like a bolt of lightning, tore through the applause and the emotional atmosphere!
At the back of the hall, the two towering, heavy, symbolically solemn carved wooden doors were suddenly flung open by an unstoppable force from outside!
Blinding, golden afternoon sunlight poured in like a flood, instantly engulfing the dim area by the entrance.
At the boundary of light and shadow, a tall, upright figure stood clearly in the center of the wide-open doors, backlit by the intense light!
The strong light outlined his sharp, familiar silhouette, highlighting the crisp police uniform on his shoulders, symbolizing duty and honor!
It was Ruben!
He stood in the flood of sunlight, his figure edged with a dazzling golden glow, like a deity stepping out of a river of light.
He was slightly out of breath, his chest heaving, clearly having used all his strength to burst through the doors.
One hand still pressed against the open door, while the other tightly gripped a large bouquet of fiery red roses!
The vivid red, set against the sunlight and the deep blue of his uniform, burned brightly, almost painfully, in everyone's eyes.
Time in the hall froze completely.
The applause abruptly stopped. All smiles, tears, emotions, and discussions froze on faces.
Over a thousand pairs of eyes, filled with disbelief, focused on the backlit figure in the police uniform and the striking bouquet of red roses in his hand.
Silence.
Absolute silence.
Ruben's gaze, like two piercing beams of light, locked precisely onto Zoey, standing on the stage in her white wedding dress, her face streaked with tears, equally stunned and petrified.
He moved.
One step into the hall. The heavy police boots made a clear, steady sound on the polished wooden floor.
In the pin-drop silence, it was like a drumbeat in everyone's hearts.
Step by step, Ruben walked down the long, red-carpeted central aisle towards the stage, unwavering.
The sunlight followed his steps, illuminating his sharply defined profile, the cold metallic sheen of his police badge, and the fiery determination in his eyes, hotter than the roses in his hand.
Everyone in his path, whether students or teachers, instinctively and silently stepped aside, like the parting of the Red Sea.
Their eyes followed him, filled with shock, curiosity, and inquiry, eventually turning into a silent, breathless witness.
Ruben approached the stage. Zoey remained in her bowing posture, her body completely stiff.
Her tear-streaked face, with wide, round eyes, was filled with disbelief, confusion, and a fragile vulnerability shattered by the sudden impact.
She looked at Ruben, in his police uniform, holding the roses, walking towards her, as if seeing a phantom from another world.
Ruben finally reached the stage.
He stopped, looked up, his gaze burning as he stared at Zoey, standing in her stunning yet disheveled wedding dress.
The entire hall, over a thousand people, was silent. Only the sound of sunlight streaming in and his slightly rapid breathing could be heard.
Time seemed to stretch infinitely.
Ruben took a deep breath, the sound clear in the silence.
Then, he raised the fiery bouquet of red roses towards Zoey on the stage and, with all his strength, shouted her name, "Zoey!"
The sound, like a resounding bell, shattered the frozen moment.
Under Zoey's suddenly contracting pupils, Ruben's voice, clear, steady, and with a power that cut through all noise and distance, echoed through the silent hall.
"I've taken care of the Vesperia situation!"
"I've also talked to Clifford!" Ruben paused, each word firm and resolute, "My background is the script fate handed me! But my life, Ruben's life, is cast by me! Performed by me!"
His gaze, like burning stars, locked onto Zoey's eyes, filled with shock, confusion, and shimmering tears, with a desperate, unwavering determination.
"I don't like her!"
"The one I've always liked, from beginning to end, is you!"
"Zoey!"
He shouted her name with earth-shattering force!
"Happy graduation!"
Ruben raised the bouquet high, his voice trembling with emotion but crystal clear to everyone, "Zoey! I love you!"
The final words, like a thunderclap.
"Will you marry me?!"
Silence.
Even more absolute silence.
It was as if the air had been sucked out, and everyone forgot to breathe.
Sunlight streamed through the high stained glass windows, casting colorful patches on Ruben's straight police uniform, Zoey's dazzling white wedding dress, and the countless faces below, frozen in extreme shock.
Time stretched and twisted in that moment.
Zoey stood frozen on the stage.
Her mouth slightly open, her usually lively and mischievous eyes now wide with all the emotions—determination from her speech, relief from her declaration, shock from the interruption—frozen like a lake, then shattered by Ruben's three earth-shattering sentences!
Tears, without warning, gushed out again.
Not the declarative, complex tears from before, but pure, overwhelming tears of regained loss, shock, and an indescribable impact.
Tears streamed down Zoey's lightly made-up face, leaving clear tracks, dripping onto her white wedding dress, creating dark patches.
Her shoulders began to tremble uncontrollably, from slight twitches to increasingly violent shakes.
Finally, she raised her hand, covering her mouth, trying to suppress the sobs that almost burst out.
The hall remained silent. Only Zoey's suppressed, broken sobs echoed in the vast space, striking everyone's eardrums.
After what felt like an eternity, Zoey finally lowered her hand from her face.
She sniffed hard, raised her sleeve, and roughly wiped away the crisscrossing tears, smudging her carefully applied makeup.
She looked down at Ruben, in his crisp police uniform, holding the blindingly red roses, looking up at her with eyes so intense they seemed to burn her.
Her gaze roamed over Ruben's face, the roses, the cold metallic sheen of his badge, slowly and carefully.
Her eyes were incredibly complex, with lingering shock, vulnerability washed by tears, scrutiny, struggle...
Finally, deep within the tumultuous emotions, something seemed to settle, a faint, almost imperceptible ripple.
Just when everyone thought she would nod or cry again, Zoey suddenly cleared her throat.
The sound was small but stark in the silence.
Then, Zoey, facing the microphone, under countless burning gazes, tilted her head slightly.
Her tear-streaked, slightly smudged face suddenly broke into a familiar, mischievous, and playful smile.
She wrinkled her nose, letting out a short, nasal hum.
Then, in Ruben's suddenly tense gaze and the audience's bewildered stares, Zoey spoke into the microphone, her tone clear, with a hint of deliberate nonchalance.
"Mr. Adams," she drawled, her eyes sparkling with a triumphant glint, "You look pretty handsome in that police uniform with those roses at the graduation ceremony!"
Zoey paused, her gaze sweeping over the roses, then back to Ruben's face, her smile growing more pronounced, full of challenge.
"But..." she drew out the word, in Ruben's suddenly nervous eyes, slowly, deliberately, she said, "Do you think you can just marry me like this?"
"—Dream on!"
The last words, crisp and loud, carried a near-arrogant, undeniable finality!
After a brief silence, someone couldn't hold back their laughter.
Then, like a fuse ignited, the entire hall erupted in laughter and even more enthusiastic applause!
The laughter was filled with goodwill, teasing, relief, and genuine blessings.
Howard, wiping away tears of laughter, pointed at Zoey on the stage, laughing too hard to speak.
Benjamin's tense body relaxed, a relieved, even slightly gloating smile spreading across his face as he shook his head, muttering, "Those two troublemakers."
I leaned against Alan's shoulder, laughing until tears streamed down my face.
Alan, with his arm around my shoulder, his eyes behind his glasses curved into crescents, whispered, "Zoey is still Zoey, never willing to take a loss."
Amid the waves of laughter, Zoey, on the stage, winked playfully at Ruben, who stood below with roses, his expression shifting from tension to bewilderment to complete confusion.
Sunlight streamed through the large stained glass windows, dancing on her tear-streaked yet radiant face, flowing over her white wedding dress, and casting a warm, eternal glow on Ruben's crisp blue uniform and the fiery red roses.
Under the hall's dome, laughter, applause, sunlight, tears, the white wedding dress and blue police uniform, the burning roses and mischievous smile... all the colors and sounds, all the sorrows and joys, came together in that moment, forever intertwined.