The Gaze of the Radio Girl (GL) - Chapter 22

Wu Lele picked for a long time, until the flower shop assistant couldn’t stand it and helped her, and the problem was finally solved.

When she walked out of the flower shop, she ran into Xue Ran, who was coming back from the library.

“Why are you here?”

“Oh… I went to the convenience store to buy something.”

“Did you get it?”

“Not yet.”

“Let’s go together.”

It was a lie, but Xue Ran had already started walking, so Wu Lele had to follow.

After carefully choosing some discounted snacks, she sneaked a glance at Xue Ran by the ice cream freezer.

Xue Ran’s face turned red and then pale, probably from switching between the air-conditioned room and the outdoors.

The summer breeze grew hotter, and the two each held a corner of a plastic bag, walking on the road, the mango ice cream in their hands melting fast.

Wu Lele tilted her head slightly, licking the juice off her fingers before it dripped.

“Lele, the deep space exhibition got extended.”

“Really?”

“I’ve been busy with volunteering and school stuff, so I haven’t gone with you. I was wondering, if I book for August 16, are you free?”

“I am.”

“That day, Big Ran and Dad are going back to our hometown, so it’ll just be us at home. We can stay out a bit later… Is there anywhere else you want to go?”

Wu Lele shook her head: “Wherever you want to go, I’ll go.”

The next day’s graduation ceremony was lively, and Wu Lele and Xue Ran were very busy.

They had lots of photos to take and interviews to do.

Wu Lele sat in front of the camera, so nervous she couldn’t speak.

No choice, Tao Tao patted Xue Ran’s shoulder and combined their separate interviews into one.

When it was all over, the ceremony had already started.

The principal’s speech was long, so Wu Lele used the excuse of going to the bathroom and ran to the school gate.

The delivery guy arrived just in time and handed her the flowers.

It was a huge bouquet of sunflowers, champagne roses, and baby’s breath.

When she held the flowers, they almost swallowed her up.

She didn’t return to the auditorium but took advantage of the empty moment to run to the teachers’ office.

Tao Tao’s desk was already piled with cards, but Wu Lele wanted to be special. She pulled a thick envelope from her uniform pocket, tucked it into the bouquet, and solemnly placed the flowers on the seat.

She adjusted the bouquet several times, hoping it would stun Tao Tao at first glance.

Some words she didn’t have the courage to say in person, so she took a photo of her masterpiece and sent it to her: Thank you, Tao Tao, for everything.

Back in the auditorium, Wu Lele was sweating buckets.

“Where’d you go?” Xue Ran handed her a tissue.

Wu Lele took it, wiping the sweat from her forehead: “Nothing… the bathroom was out of water, so I ran to the teaching building.”

Xue Ran’s lips curved slightly, but she didn’t say anything.

She didn’t understand why Wu Lele always hid things from her. Maybe, like on her birthday, she wanted to surprise her?

Since she didn’t say, Xue Ran pretended to know nothing, waiting for Wu Lele to speak up.

But the graduation ceremony ended, and Wu Lele didn’t speak.

When the class was noisily saying goodbyes, Wu Lele didn’t speak.

Even when they took their diplomas and walked to the school gate, Wu Lele still didn’t speak.

Suddenly, footsteps came from behind—it was Tao Tao.

Tao Tao held a big bouquet in her arms, a thick letter in her hand.

At that moment, Xue Ran knew she’d misunderstood.

“Lele!” Tao Tao hugged Wu Lele tightly. “Sorry, I was so busy this morning, I only saw it now.”

Wu Lele froze, glancing nervously at Xue Ran.

Xue Ran looked away.

“Lele, even after you leave school, you can contact me anytime, got it?”

“…Okay.”

“And no matter what happens in the future, don’t give up on yourself easily.”

Memories flooded back, and Wu Lele sniffled: “…Got it. Tao Tao, will you always be here?”

“Yeah, as long as you need me.”

What Tao Tao meant to Wu Lele, Xue Ran couldn’t quite say.

But having such a homeroom teacher, she felt lucky.

If she could, she wanted to be someone like that too.

She took out a new game cartridge she’d bought and stuffed it into Tao Tao’s hand: “Old Tao, live to a hundred.”

Tao Tao laughed: “Big spender, huh, class leader.”

“…A return gift.”

Though she knew Wu Lele’s feelings for Tao Tao were just admiration, on the way home, Xue Ran couldn’t help asking: “Was it necessary to hide such a small thing from me?”

“I was afraid you’d be unhappy.”

“Why would I be unhappy?”

“I don’t know, just a feeling.”

“…Maybe I’m just bad at managing my expressions.”

“…”

“Can you tell me the truth from now on?”

“Yeah, I promise… Then, Ran, you have to tell me the truth too.”

Wu Lele’s eyes locked onto hers, her pure gaze reflecting Xue Ran’s own image.

Xue Ran felt a sudden guilt and mumbled, “Uh.”

During the long holiday, besides learning to drive, the two had nothing to do.

Xue Ran pulled Wu Lele into her student part-time group, spending every day in the library.

Wu Lele loved reading and read fast, but since the graduation trip, she always seemed distracted.

Several times, she didn’t even hear Xue Ran calling her, so once, she didn’t dodge in time and got hit on the arm by a falling old bookshelf.

Looking at her injury-prone arm, Wu Lele gave a helpless chuckle.

The HR sister sighed and told her to go home and rest.

Stuck at home, Wu Lele felt useless.

It was rare free time, but she couldn’t learn to drive, couldn’t work her part-time job, couldn’t focus on books—she was a complete failure.

Her phone rang again.

Wu Lele glanced at the number and promptly blacklisted it.

Anti-inflammatory meds made her drowsy, and Wu Lele woke groggily to a knock at the door.

It was Xue Lin.

“Lele, can I borrow your radio?”

“Sure.”

The equipment she used now, except for the portable one Tao Tao gave her, originally belonged to Xue Lin.

“Oh, Lele, you’re an angel, you’re too good.”

“I’ll help you pack. I’ll find a cardboard box.”

“No, no, I brought one. I didn’t plan to use your equipment, but there was a problem with the group presentation for my promotion assessment, so I had to come to you.”

“Then I’ll help unplug it.”

“Don’t move, your arm’s still injured. I’ll do it.”

“Is there anything I can help with?”

“Oh, do you have the Morse code transmitter?”

“The transmitter? I don’t have it.”

“No way, I don’t have it either.”

They locked eyes and simultaneously glanced at the locked desk drawer.

Xue Lin: “You have the key?”

Wu Lele shook her head: “Didn’t you lock it, sister?”

“I have one key, but you don’t have one. There’s another… Oh, I remember, I gave it to Little Ran. Wait a sec.”

Xue Lin ran downstairs, rummaged through everything, and finally brought back the small key.

“Ugh, if Little Ran were here, her stuff’s organized better than mine.”

As she spoke, the key turned, the lock clicked open, and in the drawer lay the transmitter they were looking for, plus a machine they’d never seen.

“What’s this? It has ports for audio and headphone cables.”

Xue Lin pressed the power switch, the light came on, but there was no response.

A nearly forgotten voice suddenly sounded. Wu Lele took the machine, plugged in the microphone and headphones, and connected it to the computer.

The keys flashed for a few seconds. Wu Lele gripped the mic nervously and tested, “Hello, hello, can you hear me?”

The headphones buzzed, and the voice wasn’t Wu Lele’s but belonged to someone she’d once thought about day and night.

That person had been gone for half a year and returned by some chance—was it a surprise or a scare? She couldn’t say.

“What’s wrong?” Xue Lin took off her headphones, put them on herself, and mimicked her, shouting a few times. “Oh, it’s a voice changer, so it’s Little Ran…”

Xue Lin stopped short.

She seemed to recall something but wasn’t sure, just stared at Wu Lele, trying to gauge her reaction.

Wu Lele, like a soulless puppet, frowned and asked Xue Lin: “Sister, this thing really isn’t yours?”

Xue Lin bit her lip, saying nothing.

In truth, Xue Ran had never told her about this.

She didn’t even know what had happened between them, so how could she give the right answer?

Little sis, I really can’t help you this time.

Xue Lin’s silence was like a signal.

The drawer wasn’t locked by her.

The thing wasn’t put there by her.

The key was with Xue Ran.

There was only one answer.

She’d asked Xue Ran before, but time and again, she’d been lied to.

It proved her ears weren’t wrong, her instincts were spot-on.

Wu Lele clutched the voice changer tightly: “Sister, this voice changer… do you need it?”

“Oh… no, no… not this time.”

“Then I’ll help pack the Morse code transmitter.”

“Lele… I’m heading back to the company.”

“Okay.”

“Are you okay alone at home?”

“I’m fine.”

Xue Lin hugged the cardboard box, sped off, but couldn’t hold back, slammed the brakes, and parked on the roadside.

The phone beeped, and the call connected.

Xue Lin blurted out: “What’s with the voice changer?”

Xue Ran, pushing a cart to tidy bookshelves, froze at Xue Lin’s words: “What voice changer?”

A deep breath on the other end: “I went home to get something, needed the Morse code transmitter, so I opened your locked drawer. Lele was right there.”

Xue Ran froze.

She’d almost forgotten about it, but it came back like a boomerang.

“Lele… did Lele say anything?”

“Nothing.”

“…”

“Little Ran, what’s going on?”

“…Sis, I’m at work. Can we talk later?”

“Fine, I’m rushing back for a report. Don’t leave after work—I’ll pick you up.”

During rush hour, in a coffee shop corner, Xue Lin and Xue Ran faced each other.

The ice in the iced Americano had mostly melted. Xue Ran finally told Xue Lin the whole story.

Xue Lin stayed silent, then clicked her tongue in disdain: “I really don’t get you.”

“…What?”

“When did you get so awkward? Lele likes Deep Space Witch, and you’re Deep Space Witch. Rounding up, she likes you. What are you hesitating for? Go for it, sis.”

“But I lied to her from the start. The voice, the personality behind it—it’s all a persona I made up to get close to her, to make her listen. Deep Space Witch has nothing in common with me. The person she sees isn’t me, it’s…”

“You’re confused…” Xue Lin cut her off. “Or do you really think Lele’s a fool?”

“I don’t.”

“Ran, a person’s voice and feelings can change, but speech patterns, speed, tone, and word choices are hard to fake. Did Lele never suspect anything?”

Xue Lin hit the nail on the head—Wu Lele had asked her multiple times, thinking she was Deep Space Witch.

“She… she did mention it…”

“See? Lele’s been looking at you all along! I’m so mad… Whether it’s Xue Ran or Deep Space Witch, it’s you, the fuller you. Lele doesn’t care—it’s you who’s trapped yourself.”

“…”

“What did you say?”

“I said… I’m not…”

“You’re done. You lied to her,” Xue Lin pinched her nose bridge. “And you didn’t even destroy the evidence…”

“It was expensive, and I thought it might be useful later. Plus, I thought you’d already seen that drawer and left it there… You have a key, don’t you?”

“You have a key too.”

They stared at each other. One drawer, two keys, a maze of assumptions, and in the end, a total mess.

Xue Lin: “What’s your plan now?”

“I don’t know…”

“I can’t help you. Figure it out. If Lele doesn’t accept it, I think you deserve it.”

“…Are you really my sister?”

“I’m your sister, that’s why I’m pissed you’re not stepping up.”

At home, Lin Ran and Xue Haichao had made dinner, a feast bigger than New Year’s.

Before seeing anyone, Xue Ran heard hurried footsteps—Wu Lele ran down to meet her.

“…Ran.”

Xue Ran opened her mouth, unsure what to say.

Wu Lele stared into her eyes for a few seconds, then pulled out two big postal envelopes from behind her, smiling: “Both our admission notices arrived. Here.”

“…Lele…”

“Go wash your hands. I helped steam some crabs—you’ve got to try them.”

“Lele…”

“Oh, and what do you want to drink? The one-armed hero will pour it for you.”

“Lele.”

“Oh, I left my phone in my room. I’ll go grab it.”