The Gaze of the Radio Girl (GL) - Chapter 23

Xue Ran never found a chance to talk.

Maybe Wu Lele was deliberately avoiding it.

Xue Ran couldn’t tell, just kept her head down, peeling crabs, then pushed the plate full of crab meat to Wu Lele.

She saw Wu Lele’s hand pause slightly, her gaze falling on her.

The family was chatting, and no one seemed to notice the awkwardness between them.

A strange tension spread, and as Xue Ran wondered what else to do, Wu Lele’s chopsticks gently picked up some crab meat.

“Ran, thank you.”

Wu Lele’s voice carried a spark, easily shattering her heart.

“…I’m sorry.”

Wu Lele ate the crab meat and shook her head: “There’s nothing to be sorry for… It’s my fault.”

“Lele…”

“The thing’s still in the drawer. Are you coming to get it later?”

“…Okay.”

Wu Lele gave a faint smile, a bit forced. She ate quietly, saying nothing more.

“By the way, we’re going back to our hometown next month. When you two stay home, be careful. I heard there’ve been a lot of break-ins around here lately,” Xue Haichao said.

“Break-ins?” Xue Lin picked up a crab. “Why break-ins?”

Lin Ran: “They come when no one’s home, ring the doorbell, and when the owner answers, they pretend they got the wrong house and leave.”

Xue Lin: “Did they steal anything?”

Lin Ran: “Not really. But the neighborhood committee says they’re probably figuring out everyone’s schedules. Once they know, they’ll break in.”

Xue Lin: “That’s bad. I have to go out for promotion training next month.”

Wu Lele and Xue Ran looked up at the same time.

Xue Haichao: “So it’ll just be you two at home?”

Lin Ran: “Oh no… What do we do? If something happens, hide if you can, run if you can, got it? Losing stuff doesn’t matter, just stay safe, understand?”

Xue Ran: “Got it.”

Wu Lele nodded too.

“Oh, I almost forgot.” Lin Ran stood up from her chair, ran to the living room, and came back with an A4 notice. “The neighborhood committee dropped this off this evening.”

Xue Lin took it: “What’s this? Where’s this surveillance from?”

Xue Haichao leaned over: “It’s from a few streets back, right? Look, isn’t that Third Aunt’s house?”

Lin Ran: “The woman in the photo is the one breaking in. She checks one street a day, moving toward us. The committee tried to catch her, but she runs when she sees people, so they haven’t caught her. They’re probably scared too, so they printed this and passed it out to every house. They said don’t answer the door casually. If she acts weird or aggressive, call the police right away.”

“Let me see?” Xue Ran wiped her hands, took the flyer, and placed it between them.

The person in the photo wore a red baseball cap and all-black clothes, showing only half her face.

From different angles and her build, they could guess it was a woman with long hair.

One photo accidentally caught her face, though it was blurry due to distance and pixelation.

Wu Lele tilted her head, and her chopsticks slipped to the floor.

Panicking, she bent to pick them up, but her injured left hand hit the table edge, making a sound.

Lin Ran: “Hey, don’t move. I’ll get you a clean pair.”

Xue Ran picked up the dropped chopsticks: “Don’t use these anymore.”

“Oh.”

Wu Lele’s expression was distracted, like a few days ago, occasionally startled.

Xue Ran glanced at the flyer and, without letting Wu Lele look too long, handed it back to Lin Ran: “Keep it safe. If that person sees every house has this flyer, she probably won’t dare come.”

Lin Ran: “Yeah, hopefully. Everyone be extra careful coming and going, and lock the door when you sleep, got it?”

Xue Ran: “Got it. Let’s eat. Lele, want some soup?”

“Oh… sure.”

Wu Lele’s expressions changed fast. When her emotions showed, she’d cover them with a smile.

By the end of dinner, Wu Lele seemed normal. But Xue Ran knew this wasn’t simple. The more she avoided talking, the worse it was.

Xue Ran: “Lele, need help with your bath?”

Wu Lele: “No, no, no, I can do it myself.”

Xue Haichao, washing dishes, poked his head out: “We’re leaving tomorrow, and it’s Lele’s check-up. Little Ran, go with her.”

Wu Lele: “I can…”

Xue Ran: “Okay.”

“Ran, I…”

“I’ll take Lele to her room to put on medicine.”

Xue Haichao: “Go ahead, I can handle the chores.”

Lin Ran: “Hey, don’t you change the medicine after the bath?”

Xue Lin: “Mom, just let them be.”

Giving Wu Lele no chance to refuse, Xue Ran grabbed her hand, climbed to the third floor, and shut the door.

In Wu Lele’s space, Xue Ran’s presence lingered.

Xue Ran cornered her by the bed. Wu Lele, with nowhere to go, hunched her back, lowered her head, and avoided her gaze.

Xue Ran sighed, gently lifting her sleeve: “Bath first.”

Wu Lele blocked her, not letting her touch.

“I can do it myself.”

“Lele… I’m sorry…”

“I said, you didn’t do anything wrong.”

“Will you hear me out?”

Wu Lele looked up, staring at her: “Go ahead.”

“At first, I did have selfish reasons. Tao Tao confiscated my Switch and said I could get it back if I helped improve your Chinese and English grades. Around then, Xue Lin brought her radio home. I was curious about what you were playing with every day, so I secretly turned it on. I tried tuning it many times and stumbled onto your frequency. It was empty, but I wanted to tell you someone could hear you, so I responded.”

“Ran, your reasons don’t matter. I can feel your kindness.” Wu Lele hugged herself, hunching her back. “But… why did you lie every time I asked if you were Deep Space Witch? You knew how I felt about her, right?”

“…I knew.”

“Then why?”

“When you asked who I was, I thought about telling the truth. But you were so withdrawn then. I was afraid if you knew I was your classmate, you’d shut me out, and I’d lose my chance to talk to you. So I made up an identity, creating a persona opposite to me. Deep Space Witch is just a facade. And you fell for a facade…”

“She’s not a facade. To me, she’s real!”

“…See, that’s why I was scared to tell you.”

Wu Lele’s eyes reddened, but she didn’t cry. She turned her face away and asked Xue Ran: “Back then, did you think I was disgusting?”

Xue Ran froze, then realized she meant the “offer myself” joke and quickly said: “No, never. It’s your freedom.”

Wu Lele pursed her lips, then smiled: “Thank you. I know what to do.”

“…Wh-what?”

“Thank you for treating me like a friend and family. I’ll try not to cross the line.”

Wu Lele’s words were clear, and Xue Ran knew she’d misunderstood.

But what was crossing the line?

Heaven knew she wanted to cross it every day.

She’d planned to wait for the right moment to tell Wu Lele her feelings.

If she kept waiting, it’d be at least sixteen more days.

She couldn’t wait.

Wu Lele valued her too much to move forward, maybe even stepping back.

Maybe back to that Sister An, or some random college guy might steal her away.

Xue Ran vaguely felt if she missed this moment, she’d never get another chance.

Screw the ceremony, screw eighteen!

Xue Ran propped one hand on the bed, lifted Wu Lele’s chin before she could react, and kissed her.

Wu Lele’s pupils shrank, her soft lips trembling.

Xue Ran didn’t dare breathe, just blinked rapidly, trying to process the moment.

Until Wu Lele’s face turned red, about to suffocate, Xue Ran let go.

They hadn’t done much, but Wu Lele’s lips were bl00d-red. Xue Ran couldn’t help but brush them with her fingertip.

“Disgusting?” Xue Ran asked.

Wu Lele shook her head.

Xue Ran chuckled: “What does it mean for girls to like each other? Do you know?”

Wu Lele nodded.

“I’ve already crossed the line. You can come over safely.”

Wu Lele’s eyes glistened.

She suddenly raised her slender neck and licked Xue Ran’s lips.

A fleeting touch, but teasingly tender.

“Where’d you learn that, huh?”

“F-f-from books…”

“When did you sneak in extra lessons behind my back?”

“N-n-not much…”

“What books? The library shouldn’t have those.”

“I… I can’t say…”

Wu Lele stammered, but Xue Ran realized something.

It clicked, and she tested: “Hu… Xin?”

Wu Lele tried to deny it, but her flushed face and stuttering mouth betrayed the secret between her and Hu Xin.

Xue Ran laughed, knelt on both knees, and hugged Wu Lele: “How are you so cute?”

Wu Lele placed her hands on Xue Ran’s, her body warming: “Ran, so now we…”

“Not yet.”

“Huh?”

“Sixteen more days.”

“Sixteen days?”

“Your eighteenth birthday.”

Wu Lele got it, her neck reddening: “That’s not what I meant…”

“Then what?”

“…You’re annoying…”

“Annoying or not, can I help you bathe now?”

“No way!”

“Why? Didn’t we always do it like that?”

“It’s different now, it’s different!!!”

“What’s different?”

Xue Ran knew the answer, her usually icy face now full of smiles.

“You!” Wu Lele saw through her. “You’re being a jerk!”

“Okay, I won’t tease. I’ll do nothing, really.”

“…Hmph.”

“Let’s go, bath time, then change your medicine. Rest early. I’ll go with you to your check-up tomorrow. If all goes well, we can get ice cream.”

Upstairs, there was clattering and giggling. The Xue elders looked up.

Xue Haichao: “What’s going on?”

Lin Ran: “We’re leaving soon, and they’re that excited?”

Xue Lin: “Light some firecrackers. Your daughter’s happy again.”

“Oh…”

“I see…”

“Should we stay longer at the hometown?”

“Maybe get some gold jewelry, bracelets or something…”

“Should we visit… Lele’s dad?”

“…Honestly, Dahai, I’m scared… And we still haven’t found her mom.”

“Maybe… forget it?”

“Let’s get more stuff for Lele, as a dowry, lock it in the safe. She can’t lose out.”

“…” Xue Lin drooped her eyelids, speechless. “Who’s the real kid here?”

The Xue elders slipped away fast.

When Wu Lele woke up, only Xue Ran and Xue Lin were left at home.

Her phone kept buzzing.

She rolled over, grabbed it from the nightstand, and saw another call from that strange number.

They’d switched numbers, persistent, with harsh words.

—I know you live near Yuanshan Lake.

—I’ll find you soon.

—Wait for me.

—Lele, come meet me.

Before finishing the texts, Wu Lele swiped left, her finger hovering over “block.”

Before she could press it, the phone rang.

Her hand slipped, and the phone hit the carpet, buzzing.

A minute passed, and the missed call went to voicemail.

“Mommy misses you.”