Lend Me Your Light!

Borrowed Light

Lan Ruoxi has always felt that she lives in the shadows.

She has never dared to claim the light that should be hers. From childhood on, she's been used to standing in a corner, used to going unnoticed. Other people's light is too bright; it would reveal how poor and wretched she is, so she learned to hide.

But every so often, light falls on her without invitation, even if it's only a little.

The spare change her younger sister slips her, Wang Jia giving her a ride since they're going the same way, Qi Jin's “Don't worry, it'll be fine,” Xue Xinrui's carefree laughter, Jiang Xueci quietly handing her a bottle of water.

None of it is meant for her.

But standing nearby, she gets to feel a little warmth, too.

Like in a classroom on a winter night, someone has turned on the lights and she's sitting by the window. The light isn't shining on her on purpose, but she no longer has to feel her way through the dark.

She thinks that maybe she can live on by borrowing a little light, at least long enough to get through tomorrow.