Stand Up and Be the Master

Wang Dahe had already taken a seat two rows away.

The moment he learned Su Hua was coming, he had swiftly changed his position. Earlier, when he had his arm slung around Xuan’s shoulders, he’d received a death glare from Su Hua.

Absolutely terrifying.

There was no way he’d let Su Hua think he was trying to steal Xuan away from her.

So, the second he heard she was coming to see Xuan, he’d slipped away and settled two seats over.

Wang Dahe propped his chin on his hand, elbow resting on the desk, looking thoroughly amused.

Xuan had clearly come to school today to avoid Su Hua.

And yet, here she was, tracking him down on campus.

This was getting good.

He wondered if Xuan would feel like the sky was falling when he woke up and saw Su Hua standing right in front of him.

Lin Xuan, hearing Su Hua call him "Ah Xuan," assumed it was part of his dream. He turned his head the other way and kept sleeping.

"Ah Xuan, wake up, hmm?" Su Hua called again.

Professor Wang blinked in confusion, glancing between Su Hua and Lin Xuan.

Wasn’t this a little… off?

Shouldn’t Su Hua, a powerful business magnate, have just sent a subordinate or even the school administration to wake Lin Xuan up?

Why was she acting so… intimate?

It almost felt like she and Lin Xuan were in a relationship.

"Stop bothering me," Lin Xuan muttered in his sleep. "I’m busy becoming the master here."

"Whose master?" Su Hua asked, lips curving.

Still half-asleep, Lin Xuan answered without thinking, "Hua Bao’s, of course."

Other than Hua Bao, he had zero interest in being anyone else’s master.

Wang Dahe’s jaw dropped. He couldn’t help but give Lin Xuan a thumbs-up.

Damn, Xuan had guts.

The other students: "…"

Su Hua was the top business tycoon in the country, and this guy actually wanted to be her master?

Lin Xuan’s ambitions were… impressively bold.

"Hua Bao?" Professor Wang frowned.

Who was this Hua Bao?

The Principal chuckled. "Professor Wang, you’re out of the loop. Su Hua’s full name is Su Hua. ‘Hua Bao’ is Lin Xuan’s personal nickname for her."

Professor Wang was stunned.

Wait, were they actually dating?

"Becoming my master?" Su Hua’s eyes curved into crescents. "Sure, I’ll let you."

Wang Dahe: "…"

This was how Su Hua acted around Lin Xuan?

Holy crap.

She was actually agreeing to let Xuan be her master?

The icy, untouchable Su Hua everyone knew was being soft, gentle, and even submissive in front of Xuan.

Wasn’t this guy living the dream?

Su Hua couldn’t resist pressing a kiss to Lin Xuan’s cheek.

The sensation felt too real.

Slowly, Lin Xuan’s sleep-addled brain caught up.

If Hua Bao was still exhausted in bed, then who was kissing him right now?

Wait, wasn’t he supposed to be in class?

Hell no!

He couldn’t let some random woman take liberties with him. Just being noticed by another girl could land him in a week-long "time-out" with Su Hua.

If she found out someone had kissed him? He’d be locked up for a year—maybe even forever.

Lin Xuan jolted awake in panic, desperate to see who’d dared to kiss him.

And then he saw Su Hua standing over him, smiling.

Lin Xuan: "!!!"

"What the—Hua Bao?!" His heart nearly stopped. "Hua Bao, what are you doing here?"

"Lin Xuan," Su Hua said, her red lips quirking, "as of now, I’m the school’s board director. You’re a student. So, you should address me as Director Su."

The students and faculty present: "…"

Since when did school board directors openly kiss their students on the cheek?

And now she was putting on a formal act?

Lin Xuan had no idea what game she was playing, but he obediently nodded. "Yes, Director Su."

"Lin Xuan," Su Hua continued, her tone strictly professional, "as a student, you’re expected to pay attention in class. Sleeping is unacceptable."

Professor Wang was thoroughly lost now.

A second ago, Su Hua had been whispering to Lin Xuan like they were a couple.

Now, they were back to being just board director and student.

So… what were they, exactly?

Lin Xuan stood up straight, the picture of a model student. "Understood, Director Su. I was in the wrong."

"Lin Xuan, while your attitude is commendable, you still broke the rules. There must be consequences." Su Hua arched a brow.

Wang Dahe frowned.

What kind of roleplay were these two into now?

Intrigued, he settled in to enjoy the show.

Punishment?

Su Hua never punished him unless it was…

Lin Xuan’s mind immediately went to the bedroom.

"Hua—I mean, Director Su," he hurriedly explained, "I won first place in the computer science team competition. My reward was a wish—I asked for the freedom to skip classes whenever I wanted."

No way was he getting dragged back into bed.

The Principal nodded. "Director Su, that’s correct."

"Is that so?"

Su Hua’s smile deepened.

Well then, Xuan’s excuse for hiding from her by coming to school was officially useless.

Lin Xuan’s gut twisted at the look on her face.

"But," Su Hua said, her lips curving, "your wish didn’t include permission to sleep in class. As a student, if you’re present, you must participate properly. Don’t you agree?"

Lin Xuan shot her a resentful look.

And whose fault was it that he was so exhausted?

He’d thought coming to school would give him a break from her. Who knew she’d track him down here?

With a resigned sigh, Lin Xuan asked, "What’s my punishment, Director Su?"

"Come with me."

Su Hua turned and walked out.

Lin Xuan obediently followed.

The faculty members moved to trail after them, but the Principal stopped them.

"Let the young couple have their privacy. What are you, a bunch of third wheels?"

"There’s plenty of work to be done around campus. Go handle it."

With that, he shooed them all away.

Professor Wang was still baffled. "Principal, what exactly is the relationship between Director Su and Lin Xuan?"

"You really can’t tell?" The Principal frowned.

"No," Professor Wang admitted. At first, he’d thought they were a couple, but their later exchange had thrown him off.

The Principal chuckled. "They’ve been together for at least a year—maybe even three or four."

He suspected Su Hua had bought shares in the university specifically because of Lin Xuan.

They’d probably been dating even back then.