<blockquote>“The contest rules said that you would teach me,” I said to the back of Meixiu’s chair, the message of LEAVE on the screen searing into my eyes. “You can’t just kick me out the moment I arrive.”
From behind the chair I heard a tongue click. The mechanical whir filled the air as she swung back around. Her face was beautiful, near middle-aged with a few wrinkles around the eyes but with that soft touch only a social influencer could have. Her cheeks flawless and blushed. Her eyes sparkled brown and exuded passion. Meixiu enunciated every word with a practiced inflection, an accent that sounded intoxicating. She enchanted all her followers, including Yixuan. Including me. Even if I was only a follower for the last few weeks and not the years my account claimed. “I asked for only serious apprentices to enter the contest.”
“But, I am a serious apprentice—”
She gave me an up and down, the quick jerk of her head for a second disturbed her makeup, the augmented tech hiccup before it settled back layered onto her face.
“You come in here without any cosmetic enhancements and tell me you’re serious? You’re going to show that face to the public?” Her lips turned down.</blockquote>
