Late at night, a small shop called the Yellow Springs Pawnshop stood quietly along the Road to the Underworld. Beneath the dim lights inside, a mysterious owner sat behind the counter, waiting for his next customer.
Suddenly, the doorbell rang out crisply, and a woman slowly walked in. Her face was pale, and her eyes held a trace of grim resolve.
“I want to pawn something,” she said, her voice calm and firm.
The owner looked up slightly and studied her. “Anything can be pawned here. What would you like to pawn, and what do you want in return?”
The woman bit her lip and said softly, “I want to trade for beauty. I wonder what I could offer.”
“Then trade your intelligence,” the owner replied. Curiosity stirred in his heart, and he asked, “Why?”
“Then trade your brains,” he said. Curiosity stirred in his heart, and he asked, “Why?”
The woman’s face was as still as water, and a bitter smile touched her lips. She spoke slowly. “Because my husband has grown disgusted with how I look now, and I… I long to be beautiful. I want even more to win my husband’s affection, even if the price is losing my mind.”
The owner fell silent for a moment, then nodded. “Deal.”
A strange light flashed, and the woman’s appearance instantly transformed into breathtaking beauty. She looked at herself in the mirror and smiled with satisfaction.
“I’m prettier than I used to be, right?” Qingyan asked the owner as she gazed at her reflection. “You used to be beautiful in a dignified way, but your aloofness made you seem cold and unapproachable. Now, though, your whole face says you want to please that person. You’re alluring and seductive. I don’t think anyone could resist you!”
