Chapter 221 Run in the Rain
"It doesn't listen to reason. It only knows that without him, every breath feels like being cut by glass." She finally turned and walked into the darkness, her retreating figure clean and decisive, as if leaving even that bright moon behind. From then on, his world was brightly lit, while her nights had no more stars.
Caroline looked up from the pages at Alexander.
She was clearly moved by these words too. After a moment of silence, she spoke softly.
"These words are sad, but also beautiful. Sometimes, letting go might take more courage than holding on, and it's more... real. Like the night sky—it's because of the darkness that stars matter. Her long night might still have its own different kind of light."
Alexander closed the book and looked at her, raising an eyebrow slightly. "Real? I don't think so. If it were me, I would never just turn and walk away like that."
Something stubborn settled in his expression—something Caroline couldn't quite read.
"If you've set your heart on something, on someone, then you should grab hold of it. This so-called letting go is often just an excuse for backing down. If starlight matters so much, why not reach out and take it, instead of leaving it in the sky to light up someone else's night?"
Caroline was stunned by his rebuttal, but quickly fired back.
"That's not backing down—it's respecting the other person's freedom and choices. What you force yourself to grab, even if you catch it, won't be the same starlight anymore. It'll just become a cold stone in your hand. And how do you know there's nothing else in her long night? Maybe there are streetlights, traffic, quiet mornings that belong to her."
Alexander's mouth twisted slightly.
Whether at the characters in the book or his past self, it was hard to tell.
"What if the other person's choice is blind, misguided? What if the so-called starlight was pointing the wrong way from the start? Wait for dawn? But what if before dawn comes an endless night—cold, lonely, maybe never seeing daylight? Why wait? Why not go find the sun yourself, or... just become that sun?"
Caroline couldn't help but straighten up. "That's not being blind—everyone has their own path to walk, their own darkness to go through. What you think is misguided might be exactly the light that person wanted at that moment. Forcing change, even with good intentions, could cause even greater harm."
"But what if the storm will kill it?" Alexander pressed on, his gaze locked on her.
"Is watching it wither respecting its life force? Some protection, even if it looks like restraint, is necessary. Better than losing it and only having regrets left."
Alexander straightened up too.
"Caroline, you've said so much about what's right. But... love sometimes just doesn't follow reason."
He paused, his eyes steady and unreadable.
"It's not like a math problem with one correct solution. When you want something, you should fight for it. Caroline, you..."
He asked silently in his heart, 'Will you fight for it? After hearing all this from me, when your love for me is strongest, can you break free from your past and fight for me? This time, I won't resist.'
"That's... that's really not following reason."
Caroline looked up, only to crash right into Alexander's burning gaze.
The two of them had argued until their cheeks were flushed, their hearts beating faster without either of them noticing.
Suddenly, a harsh beam of light shot through the skylight high in the library, sweeping right between them.
"Who's in there?! Are there students hiding? Come out! Come out right now! Don't you know the door needs to be locked?!"
The security guard on patrol. They'd been found.
Both of them jumped at once.
Alexander frowned. "If we get caught, explaining will be a hassle. They might call our parents."
He looked at Caroline. "We have two choices—get caught and write an apology letter, or run. Caroline, which do you choose?"
Caroline's heart beat even faster.
In that instant, she remembered Alexander's earlier words about grabbing what you want.
She'd followed the rules for over a decade, never crossing the line, but now a strange impulse suddenly drowned out her reason.
"Run."
Alexander's eyes lit up.
"Okay."
He grabbed Caroline's hand and they pressed themselves against the wall by the door.
The next second, the door swung open and the guard leaned in.
"Anyone there? Come out!"
Almost at the same moment, Alexander yanked Caroline forward and they rushed past him.
"Hey!" The guard stumbled back in surprise.
Alexander pulled Caroline as they sprinted down the hallway.
"Stop! You two—stop right there!"
"Quick."
Alexander gripped her hand tightly, leading her as they flew down the stairs and burst out into the rain.
The guard's angry shouts faded behind them. Alexander glanced back and pulled a face.
Caroline caught him doing it and laughed—a soft, helpless sound she hadn't expected from herself.
Alexander heard it and laughed too.
Rainwater dripped from his hair, running down past his eyes and the corners of his mouth.
Their laughter tangled together, wrapped in the sound of rain.
They finally ducked into a cramped phone booth.
"Now we really are drowned rats." Caroline brushed the wet hair plastered to her cheek, looking pained as she wrung out her dripping school uniform skirt. "Great, soaked through... If I go home like this, I'm definitely getting an earful."
Alexander watched her slightly furrowed brow and suddenly spoke.
"Caroline."
Caroline instinctively looked up, and walked straight into a gaze she wasn't prepared for.
'Caroline, don't be afraid. I'll be with you.'
'Caroline, you don't have to hide anymore. In front of me, you can cry when you want to cry, laugh when you want to laugh.'
'Caroline, please—will you take me away? I don't actually care about the Hamilton family wealth. I'm tired of competing with Linus. If there could be a quiet place somewhere, I'd want it to have only you and me.'
Caroline...
Everything he wanted to say jammed in his chest, and not a word of it came out.
He was afraid it was too much, too fast—that it would send her running.
He was afraid that whatever he said wouldn't come close to what he actually meant.
In the end, all of it collapsed into a single impulse.
He pulled Caroline in without thinking, their wet clothes pressing together.
Alexander lowered his head and kissed her.
Caroline's eyes flew wide open.
Every breath was filled with his scent—burning hot, yet carrying something she couldn't name, something close to grief.
He kissed her like he'd been holding it back for years, so completely undone that she almost thought he might start crying against her mouth.
Then the reality of it hit her.
Caroline shoved Alexander away hard.
"Alexander, are you crazy?!"
Alexander froze. "Caroline?"
Caroline looked at him with reddening eyes, then suddenly burst into loud sobs.