The Gaze of the Radio Girl (GL) - Chapter 14

Wu Lele’s eyelashes brushed Xue Ran’s eyes, jolting her awake.

She steadied her breathing, feeling worse than a beast.

She slowly pulled back, rolling smoothly onto her floor mat, turning off the lamp, facing away from Wu Lele, muttering: “I was just scared you’d suffocate. Such a big person, and you don’t even leave a gap in the blanket.”

Wu Lele seemed unaware of what almost happened, asking innocently: “You’re really sleeping on the floor?”

“Well, yeah.”

“The bed’s big enough.”

“…”

“I only need a small spot.”

“…”

“I don’t snore, and I don’t move much.”

…Who’s the restless one here?

Even with her affectionate behavior and blunt words, Wu Lele probably never thought of her class monitor in any weird way.

This made Xue Ran feel unnecessary, touched yet pitiful.

“No, I love the floor. It’s cool.”

“Really?”

A rustle came from behind. Xue Ran turned to see Wu Lele eager to try.

“Stay on the bed!”

“Oh…”

Sigh, what sins did she commit in her past life?

Xue Ran rolled over, covered herself, closed her eyes, and tried to sleep.

But in the dark, with vision gone, her other senses sharpened, making her feel Wu Lele’s gaze burning a hole through her.

At first, she thought it was an illusion, but it got too intense. She opened her eyes, looking toward the source.

Wu Lele’s eyes were watery, staring brightly at her.

“…”

“…Ran?”

“…What?”

“Ran…”

“Yeah?”

“R…an.”

“…What’s wrong?”

“I’m scared I’ll forget after I sleep, so before that, can I ask something?”

“Ask quick.”

“Well… how did you know I was in danger?”

“…”

“How did you show up just in time?”

“…”

“I was talking to the Deep Space Witch then.”

If tension could take form, Xue Ran’s alarms would be blaring “beep boop beep boop.”

“Is that important? More than sleep?”

“Yeah… it’s pretty important to me.”

“W-Why’s it important?”

“Well, back then, looking at that axe and the broken lock, I thought I might die. I was even ready for it, but then I thought of the Deep Space Witch, you, and Tao Tao, and I didn’t want to die. If you and the Deep Space Witch were the same person…”

“No way.”

“…Huh?”

“Do our voices sound alike?”

“Not really…”

“Then why think we’re the same?”

Wu Lele shut her mouth.

Xue Ran turned away, not wanting to look.

When no sound came from behind, thinking Wu Lele was asleep, she suddenly asked: “Ran, I don’t think I ever told you my friend’s name… About the Deep Space Witch, don’t you have anything to ask?”

Wu Lele’s language skills had improved—Xue Ran didn’t expect a logic puzzle waiting.

She didn’t answer, pretending to be asleep.

After a long pause, more rustling—Wu Lele retreated into her shell.

Xue Ran peeked, sleepless through the night.

Wu Lele seemed to suspect something, but Xue Ran didn’t know why she was being awkward.

She was sure of one thing: the Deep Space Witch would never appear again.

—Lele, forget her. Just look at me, hear me, the real me.

Wu Lele slept until evening, her fever gone.

Xue Ran came in to check her temperature, brought a towel to wipe her sweat, changed her clothes. Wu Lele lazily clung to her, unmoving.

“Get up, wipe yourself.”

“I’m tired… If I act cute, will you help?”

“…You’re not embarrassed?”

“You’ve seen and touched me, and we’re both girls…”

“You!” Xue Ran threw the towel over her face. “I’m not serving you!”

Wu Lele sat up cross-legged, quietly watching Xue Ran bustle.

Soon, a bowl of scallop and lean pork porridge arrived with some pills.

“Quick! Change, eat porridge, take the pills!”

“Fine…” Wu Lele turned, half out of her nightgown, then asked, “Ran, you’re really not the Deep Space Witch?”

Xue Ran thought sleep would make her forget, but she doubled down.

Xue Ran was fed up.

She grabbed the towel, pinned her to the bed, and rubbed her face hard: “Tell me, how are me and your friend alike, huh?”

“Wahhh!” Wu Lele squirmed free from Xue Ran’s clutches. “…Nothing alike, the Deep Space Witch wouldn’t do this!”

“…Hmph!” Xue Ran tossed the towel, got off the bed, shut the door, and left.

Before going, she said: “Mention her again, and I’ll really get mad.”

With that, Xue Ran didn’t return to the room.

She sat in the downstairs dining room, tearing into pizza.

Xue Lin, rarely home, watched with a gossip-hungry look: “So, Little Ran and I are getting a new sister?”

“Not a sister.”

“…Older sister?”

“Not that either.”

Xue Ran chomped a big bite of pizza, gulping cola.

The three at the table exchanged glances, silent but lively.

Finally calming down, Xue Ran burped: “Cola’s the best.”

Xue Lin: “You two gonna keep sharing a room? I can rent a place, let Lele take my room.”

No way could Wu Lele stay there—those things were still there.

Maybe just toss them…

No, too expensive, too painful…

Xue Ran shook her head: “No need. There’s a storage room downstairs. I’ll clean it out, sleep there.”

Xue Haichao: “Why not move my second-floor study to the first, let Lele take the second floor?”

Lin Ran: “Yeah, I’ll get some cabinets made, so storage can go in the study. It’s for sleeping—needs to be nice.”

Xue Lin: “I like the current study, with the big balcony… How about I take the second floor, leave the third for you two?”

Lin Ran: “Works for me, and then…”

Xue Ran hadn’t thought much, just that Wu Lele couldn’t stay in her old home—she had to leave.

Her plan was simple: share a room, make do, and once college started with dorms, it’d be fine.

But she didn’t expect her family to start planning, treating Wu Lele’s move as permanent.

Xue Ran sipped her cola. Xue Haichao finalized: “Little Ran, if you’re okay with it, it’s settled. I’ll take leave tomorrow to handle things.”

Xue Lin: “I won’t go back to school tonight, stay till it’s sorted.”

Lin Ran: “You two focus on school tomorrow. Teacher Tao says Lele’s got potential for Peking University, just needs to fix her weak spots. Then you can go to school together—how nice.”

“About tuition,” Xue Ran finished her cola, staring at the flattened straw, “I’ll work this summer, so…”

“No need to worry,” Xue Haichao said. “If you get into Peking University, there’s subsidies. We can cover the rest.”

“Living expenses…”

“What, you buying designer stuff?”

Xue Lin raised her favorite fry, pointing at Xue Ran: “If you want to work or intern, I won’t stop you. No burdens now, good to see the world’s diversity.

“But I don’t want you tied down by money. Your pocket money’s on me. Take it, especially Lele—don’t compromise for money. Run from bad people, got it?”

Xue Ran blinked, like witnessing the ninth wonder of the world.

Xue Lin: “What, touched?”

Xue Ran: “Maybe I should write an IOU…”

“Why?”

“You’re scaring me. I’d feel better if you were just shameless.”

“Tch, wanna bet I’ll hit you?”

“Go ahead.” Xue Ran tilted her face.

“Hey, you little brat…”

“Lele, done with the porridge?”

The sisters looked up. Wu Lele, in new pajamas, held her tray at the stairs: “Hello, Uncle, Auntie, Sister. I’m done.”

“Didn’t I say I’d come get it when you’re done?”

“My fever’s gone. I can walk.”

She was just acting cute earlier…

Xue Ran glanced at the trio, then at Wu Lele, took the tray, and asked: “Wanna eat with us?”

“Can I?”

“Come,” Xue Lin pulled a chair, “fruit salad, for vitamins.”

Wu Lele sat between the sisters, quietly eating salad.

The trio opposite grinned, eyes gleaming, like they were eyeing a treasure.

Xue Ran couldn’t help shifting her chair closer to Wu Lele.

Wu Lele’s skin was pale.

In unexposed areas, bruises lurked, clawing beneath.

In Xue Ran’s short-sleeved uniform, the cuffs covered her elbows, revealing mottled forearms.

Xue Ran: “Short sleeves really okay?”

Wu Lele nodded: “I’m not so scared anymore.”

Xue Ran touched her head, tying a long-sleeved jacket around her waist: “If it feels off, wear the jacket.”

“Yeah.”

“Let’s… go then.”

Xue Ran’s family lived near a scenic area, a fluke of a relocated house, a few minutes’ walk to the lake and subway.

Twenty minutes east on Line 3 got them to school.

A bit before morning rush was the school peak—college and high school exam kids, all clutching palm-sized review books, memorizing like mad.

Some glanced curiously at Wu Lele, but Xue Ran’s stare sent them looking away awkwardly.

Wu Lele tugged Xue Ran’s hem: “Hehe, seems like no one cares.”

Xue Ran, half a head taller, said flatly: “What’s to care about?”

The walk to school was just the tutorial level; classmates’ stares were the real challenge.

With her “success” earlier, Wu Lele strode confidently ahead of Xue Ran. Entering, the reciting, chatting, and problem-solving stopped. Xue Ran’s glance silenced questions.

Hu Xin and Hu Lei, also in the back, gaped at Wu Lele’s arms, stunned.

Wu Lele sat. Xue Ran looked away, and whispers started.

“What’s with Deep Space Witch? She took leave yesterday.”

“Who hit her? Class monitor?”

“No way.”

“As a future medical doctor, I bet it’s years of domestic abuse.”

“No wonder she always wears jackets—I thought she was just frail.”

“Abuse… you think there’s that kind of…”

“What kind?”

“Hey, don’t those often go together?” The boy gestured.

“Hey!” Hu Xin slapped his desk.

“W-What?”

“If your hands are useless, chop them off. Don’t waste food here.”

He shut up, not daring to speak.

Xue Ran looked at Hu Xin, their eyes meeting briefly before both turned away, silently returning to their seats.

Wu Lele blinked: “Why’s the sports captain mad?”

“Nothing. Homework done?”

“Uh, not language or English.”

“Me neither. Let’s do it together?”

In less than a day, “Deep Space Witch abused” spread through the class, even drawing gawkers from other classes.

Stares surged like heatwaves. Wu Lele’s hands hid under the desk, not coming out.

Her knuckles whitened. Xue Ran covered her hand, gripping gently.

Wu Lele looked up dazedly, seeing only Xue Ran’s sharp profile.

She took a deep breath, stretched out her right hand, and kept working.

“Let’s start the class meeting.”

Last period, Tao Tao walked in with a big cardboard box.

Class 6 Senior Year 3’s championship trophy sat by the podium. Tao Tao had gifts for every winning athlete, calling them up.

When the women’s 4×100-meter relay was called, Wu Lele pinched her jacket but didn’t wear it, standing with Xue Ran on the podium, scars exposed.

The room went silent.

Before the mood collapsed, Hu Xin and Hu Lei stood first, clapping: “Great!”

Wu Lele stared at the sports captain, clutching the gift from Tao Tao.

“Old Tao’s pretty thoughtful.” Xue Ran opened her gift bag, turning to Wu Lele: “What’s yours?”

Wu Lele’s eyes sparkled, holding up a handheld radio: “I-I got a new radio.”

“…”

After a pause, Xue Ran said coldly: “Congrats.”

Her fingers reached into her bag, feeling a familiar shape. She pulled out her Switch!

Wasn’t it top 10% to get it back? Wu Lele’s language grades weren’t there yet.

Xue Ran looked at Tao Tao, who shushed her, pointing to the bag.

She dug further—a photo album, full of sports meet pictures, many of her close-ups.

One was from the closing ceremony, her on the grass, not looking at the camera but at someone else.

That person, closer to the lens, had blurred features from focus, but Xue Ran recognized Wu Lele by her distinct lips, facial lines, and medium-long hair.

She was gazing at Wu Lele, eyes soft, a rare smile, like a spring breeze.

A sticky note on the corner read:

Here’s a tip: Lele’s birthday is August 16. Go for it, girl (smiley heart)!

Xue Ran snapped the album shut.