Second Lead Syndrome (1-187) | ✓

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"They would have hurt you," Xue stated vehemently. "How can you expect me not to get angry?"

...though, at that moment, Xue was more than just mad at those people. However, Xue thought that Cecil did not know the turmoil he went through earlier. 

That was his own problem to fix. 

Cecil, on the other hand, did not expect Xue to answer in such a straightforward manner. 

"Yo-you really admitted it so bluntly," Cecil looked away from him awkwardly. “I didn’t expect you to answer like that.”

“How else did you expect me to answer you?” Xue frowned slightly, still keeping her hands on his cheek. 

“Well, like...you know…” 

Cecil ducked her head down, shuffling her feet. 

“I know?” 

“No, I’m not trying to say that but--” 

“Mhmm?”

“I...I expected you to say yes, but no, but sort of a yes.” 

Xue was amused. 

“So you want me to say I will get angry, but not angry, but sort of angry?” 

Cecil stopped shuffling her feet, bewildered. 

“That...that doesn’t sound right either.” 

“Mhmm, it doesn’t,” Xue nodded with a hum, her hands on his cheek moving along to his movements. “So what did you really expect me to say?”

“It’s just...like I said.” 

“I will get angry, but not angry, but sort of angry?” Xue repeated, mirth evident in his voice. 

Cecil lifted her head up, still bewildered.

This tone of his…

It sounds familiar…

It was just like that day back when I threw a tantrum at him after training too hard. 

She stared at Xue, who raised his eyebrows. 

“Hmmm?” Xue smirked slightly. 

At that moment, it finally occurred to Cecil that Xue was completely teasing her. 

He understood her words from the very beginning. 

“You--” 

Cecil pulled back her hands from his cheeks, feeling her own cheeks burning instead. 

Xue tried to reach out to her hands, when he noticed the irritation in her eyes that she was trying to hide.

“You are teasing me again,” Cecil accused him, pulling her hands further away from him. “I noticed the first time, don’t think I won’t notice for the second time!” 

Xue sniffled, rubbing at his nose as he tried to hide his smile. 

Some of the soul fragments felt gratified and proud for Xue. He pulled out of his unstable mind, and they also had the chance to see the irritated side of Cecil. 

Cecil spun around, feeling slightly cheated. 

On the other hand, Xue was amazed how this small interaction between him and Cecil made him want to smile. Just a moment ago, he was being dragged into the worst state of his mind. 

That state of mind was too horrible. 

He definitely...did not want to go back to it anytime soon.