Ji Angran’s first impression of Qiu Ruifeng was that he looked really fierce.
He was over 1.8 meters tall, built like a mountain, with slightly tanned skin — a wheat-colored tone developed from years of playing basketball on the court. His brows were sharp and heroic, his whole vibe tough and imposing — he looked like someone you really wouldn’t want to mess with.
But Ji Angran had no intention of provoking him; it was Qiu Ruifeng who barged into his heart first.
That day was the first day of the competition class. A good number of students had already arrived. The room was buzzing with noise and excitement, lively and boisterous — but Ji Angran had never been one to blend into that kind of atmosphere.
He wasn’t good at socializing and had grown used to being alone. So, quietly, he picked a seat by the window and sat down.
The scorching summer heat drifted wildly through the restless classroom. The doors and windows were all open, but even the breeze that came through was hot. The air was thick with moisture, making everyone feel sticky all over — like stepping into a sauna.
Ji Angran propped up his head with one hand and pretended to read, but his eyes couldn’t help drifting out the window.
Amid the chirping insects and birds, a burst of loud laughter and playful shouting came from afar. A few strong-looking boys were walking toward the school building with basketballs in their arms. Sweat clung to their temples, glinting in the harsh sunlight. The smiles on their faces were so bright and carefree, it felt like they could outshine the sun itself.
Ji Angran’s gaze followed them until they disappeared around the corner of the building. He lowered his eyes again, but the vivid image of that smile lingered in his mind.
Later, one of those boys — smiling ear to ear — tapped him on the shoulder and grinned casually.
“Hey, can I sit next to you?”
The boy was wearing a white tank top, half-soaked with sweat. Ji Angran could vaguely see the strong muscles across his chest.
The thick summer air clung to Ji Angran’s heart, tickling and itchy. The sound of cicadas buzzed all around him, loud and inescapable.
He gave a soft “Mm” and scooted a little to the side.
Qiu Ruifeng plopped down beside him without hesitation, kicking the basketball to the back of the classroom.
He had just finished playing ball and was drenched in sweat. He pulled a couple of tissues from his pocket to wipe his forehead and then lifted his shirt to fan himself with it — but quickly seemed to realize it wasn’t very appropriate. He glanced apologetically at the pale, skinny boy beside him.
“Sorry,” Qiu Ruifeng scratched his head. “I just finished playing — kinda hot. I don’t smell or anything, right?”
Ji Angran gave another soft “Mm.”
Only then did Qiu Ruifeng relax. He casually pulled a book from his backpack to use as a fan and started chatting with Ji Angran.
“I’m Qiu Ruifeng — ‘Qiu’ as in sharp, ‘Rui’ as in sharp blade, ‘Feng’ as in mountain peak. What about you?”
“Ji Angran.”
“Which characters?”
“‘Ji’ as in ‘season’ (季), ‘Angran’ (昂然) as in ‘marching forward with pride and confidence.’”
Ji Angran’s responses weren’t particularly engaging. Qiu Ruifeng would ask a question, and Ji Angran would answer only that one question—never more.
Even someone as naturally outgoing as Qiu Ruifeng started to feel a bit defeated. He thought, This boy looks so obedient and fair-skinned—why is he so hard to talk to?
Qiu Ruifeng began to regret it. He didn’t even know why he’d been so impulsive at first—why, the moment he laid eyes on Ji Angran, he just couldn’t help walking over. And now, well, all he’d done was make trouble for himself.
Feeling bored, Qiu Ruifeng gave up and stopped talking.
With his voice gone, the surrounding noise seemed to fall away into silence. Ji Angran lowered his head, shy and quiet, doodling and scribbling on his book with his pen. But secretly, he kept repeating Qiu Ruifeng’s name in his mind.
“Rui as in sharp, Feng as in mountain peak—Qiu Ruifeng, Qiu Ruifeng, Qiu Ruifeng…”
And he thought to himself, “What a nice-sounding name.”
…..
Ji Angran was a boarding student, while Qiu Ruifeng was a day student. Every evening after school, Ji Angran would see him walking away with another boy named Lu Xingjia, both of them always wearing bright, cheerful smiles.
Ji Angran envied how easily they got along. He often turned his head slightly to watch them—but always pretended not to care.
You can’t waste time.
You have more important things to do.
He repeated this to himself over and over, forcing his gaze away.
His parents were ordinary office workers, and he was their only child. They gave him the best of everything they had and placed high hopes on his shoulders.
Back in elementary school, when he was moving up to middle school, he had randomly signed up for a physics competition. By some stroke of luck, he ended up winning first prize. And just like that, he was set on the path of physics competitions.
Three years of middle school, and one year of high school so far—Ji Angran had barely spent any time at home. Whenever he did return, his mother would prepare a table full of delicious food, then sit beside him and ask him again and again:
“How’s your studying going? Are you improving? Do you think you can win another prize?”
Every time he saw her eyes filled with such eager hope, Ji Angran couldn’t bring himself to say a single word.
He knew that his parents had poured so many of their hopes into him, and he simply couldn’t bear to let them down.
The first week of school always felt harder than usual—but honestly, to Ji Angran, there wasn’t much difference.
It was all the same: listening to lectures, solving problems… and occasionally feeling a little envious that Qiu Ruifeng could laugh and play so freely.
When he went home that weekend, his mom, as usual, made a big meal and asked how he was doing in the competition class.
Ji Angran lowered his head as he ate, answering softly, “It’s fine.”
“Do you understand what the teachers are saying?”
“Yeah.”
“How about your classmates? Are they easy to get along with?”
Ji Angran was stunned for a second. For some reason, a bright image of Qiu Ruifeng’s cheerful smile suddenly flashed before his eyes.
After a moment, he lowered his gaze and softly replied, “Mm.”
He was used to being quiet at home, so his mother didn’t notice anything unusual. She offered a few casual words of concern and smiled with satisfaction, crow’s feet gently creasing at the corners of her eyes.
“All the students in your school’s competition class are outstanding. You should learn from them and get along well, understand?”
Get along with Qiu Ruifeng?
Ji Angran had no idea how to get along with others. Though his mother had reminded him more than once to make friends at school, this was the first time he actually gave it serious thought.
Could he really be friends with him?
Ji Angran wasn’t sure.
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T/N:
The title expression (lighting the lamp) has a metaphorical meaning, implying emotional awakening, intimacy, or deepening of a relationship, especially in romantic contexts.
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