The Daughter-In-Law Is So Pitiful? Just Take Her Home and Pamper Her! - Chapter 25

Chapter 25: The Simple Moments

Morning sunlight streamed through the glass doors of the shop. Chen Mi was sweeping up loose hair from the floor, and the gentle buzzing of an electric clipper echoed from the back room—Xu Yao was trimming a customer’s sideburns.

“Shorter still?” Xu Yao’s voice mingled with the quiet hum of the clippers.

“Yes, yes—just that length!” the customer turned his head side to side in the mirror, satisfied. “Boss Xu’s skills are the best. My wife insists the new place, Trendy Cuts, is better. But I’m telling you, this place is the real deal!”

Chen Mi smiled slightly and dumped the hair into the trash bin.

The bell at the entrance suddenly chimed. He looked up and saw Zhao Jinrong standing outside the door, his expression dark as he stared into the shop.

Their eyes met. Zhao Jinrong’s mouth twitched as if he wanted to say something, but in the end, he only let out a cold snort and turned to leave.

Chen Mi paused for a moment, then lowered his head and continued sweeping. Somehow, he found it a little funny—this man who used to make him tremble with fear now didn’t even dare step inside the shop.

“What are you spacing out for?” Xu Yao’s voice came from behind. “Go wash the towels.”

“Oh!” Chen Mi responded and gathered the dirty towels, heading toward the back courtyard. The sun warmed his back, and even Xu Yao’s usual gruff tone sounded pleasant in the light.

The faucet gushed with a loud whoosh as Chen Mi scrubbed the towels. Laughter drifted in from the front room—Xu Yao, surprisingly, was chatting happily with a customer.

Peeking out, Chen Mi saw Xu Yao holding the clippers, the corners of his lips slightly curved, the creases between his brows relaxed. Bathed in the morning light, he looked calm and gentle.

Chen Mi watched for a moment, then lowered his head to continue scrubbing, the smile on his lips growing unconsciously.

On the latest page of the ledger:

“Towel disinfectant – 8 yuan”
“Sunlight – free”
“…Today is a good day.”

By noon, the sunlight lazily spilled across the barbershop floor. Chen Mi leaned on the front counter, resting his chin in his hand, watching Xu Yao give the last customer a haircut. The gentle buzzing of the clippers was like a lullaby, and he couldn’t help but yawn.

“Sleepy?” Xu Yao asked without turning, his scissors still snipping.

“No,” Chen Mi rubbed his eyes and stubbornly replied, “Just bored.”

Xu Yao chuckled, twirling the scissors with a graceful flick of his fingers. “Then go clean the mirrors.”

Chen Mi pouted, grabbed a cloth, and slowly shuffled over to the mirror.

His reflection showed a face with slightly overgrown bangs nearly covering his eyes. He brushed them aside and then heard a customer behind him laugh, “Master Chen’s hair needs a trim too, huh?”

Chen Mi blinked and turned toward Xu Yao.

Xu Yao had just finished the final snip and shook the cutting cape clean. “Come here.”

“Huh?”

“What do you mean huh?” Xu Yao pointed at the barber chair. “Sit.”

Chen Mi blinked again but obediently sat down. Xu Yao ran his fingers through his hair. The cool touch of his fingertips grazed the back of Chen Mi’s neck, making him shiver slightly.

“Don’t move.” Xu Yao pressed a hand on his shoulder, voice low. “If I mess it up, don’t blame me.”

Chen Mi immediately sat up straight, sneaking glances at Xu Yao’s face in the mirror.

The man’s gaze was lowered, his long lashes shimmering faintly gold in the sunlight. Focused like this, he looked nothing like his usual grumpy self.

Snip snip. The scissors whispered past his ear, hair fluttering down.

Xu Yao’s hands were steady, his movements efficient yet gentle. Chen Mi could even smell the faint scent of mint from his sleeve—probably from the disinfectant they always used, yet somehow, it felt reassuring now.

“All done.” Xu Yao put the scissors down and brushed the fallen hair from his shoulders.

Chen Mi looked into the mirror. His newly trimmed bangs framed his face neatly, making him look much more refreshed. He couldn’t help but grin. “Not bad at all, Boss Xu.”

Xu Yao reached up to ruffle his hair. “Stop buttering me up. Go sweep the floor.”

Chen Mi giggled and jumped off the chair. Just as he turned, he heard Xu Yao mutter behind him, “…Hot pot tonight. Go tell Lin Jie.”

He paused in his step and turned to look at Xu Yao, who had already turned away to tidy the tools, but the tips of his ears were tinged faintly red.

…

As soon as Chen Mi stepped outside, the scent from next door wafted over. Smelled like crispy fried pork bites. He could even hear the sizzling of oil in the wok.

“Lin Jie!” Chen Mi called out as he jogged into the back kitchen. “Xu-ge said we’re having hot pot tonight!”

Startled, Lin Jie flinched, and half the freshly fried pork flew out of her slotted spoon. “Whoa! What’s the occasion today, huh? Come on, grab a plate—we’ll eat the dropped ones ourselves.” She wiped her apron. “Take these back first, I’ll bring over the soup base in a bit.”

The heat made Chen Mi blow air over his hands, but he was still smiling. Sunlight filtered through the steamer’s mist, settling like dewdrops on his lashes.

In the kitchen, Lin Jie packed ingredients while muttering to herself, “Beef tripe, duck bl00d, lotus root… lettuce, tofu skin, meatballs, hand-pulled noodles go in last… and I’ll give you an extra serving of sesame sauce…” She suddenly handed him a thermos. “This is just for Boss Xu.”

“What’s this?”

“Stomach-soothing soup,” Lin Jie winked. “Whenever he’s in a good mood, he goes crazy on spicy food—and then regrets it when his stomach hurts.”

On the way back, Chen Mi was loaded with bags of ingredients in one hand and the crispy pork in the other, humming as he walked. He suddenly noticed Xu Yao standing by the shop entrance, trimming the rose bush that always snagged customers’ clothes. Sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting flickering shadows across his neck.

“Bought this much?” Xu Yao took the bags from him, his fingers brushing over the red marks on Chen Mi’s palm.

“Lin Jie insisted…” Chen Mi paused, realizing the flower stems Xu Yao had cut had all been carefully de-thorned and were now arranged neatly in a glass vase by the door.

Later, when the hot pot was bubbling, steam fogged up the mirrors. Chen Mi saw Xu Yao, for once, going for a second bowl of rice, his ears red from the spice, still adding more chili oil. Chen Mi quietly slid the stomach-soothing soup toward him, but Xu Yao glared, and he quickly retracted his hand.

“So…” Chen Mi dipped a slice of lamb into the broth. “Can you teach me how to do a buzz cut tomorrow?”

Xu Yao paused mid-bite. “What brought that on?”

“Well…” Chen Mi stirred the sesame sauce in his bowl. “I want to master it faster.”

A ladle knocked lightly against his forehead. “You haven’t even got the basics down.” Xu Yao picked up some beef tripe and put it in Chen Mi’s bowl. “Starting next week, practice with the clipper half an hour more every day.”

Chen Mi puffed up his cheeks and nodded, then suddenly noticed a chili seed stuck to the corner of Xu Yao’s mouth. Instinctively, he reached out—but hesitated halfway and pulled his hand back, opting instead for a meaningful glance.

“What are you staring at?” Xu Yao frowned.

“Your face…” Chen Mi gestured. “There’s something there.”

Xu Yao casually wiped his face, only to smear the chili seed onto his cheekbone. Chen Mi held back laughter and handed him a tissue—only to get his cheeks squished in retaliation.

“Getting bold, aren’t you?” Xu Yao’s palm was surprisingly warm.

Amid the curling steam, Chen Mi saw tiny droplets clinging to Xu Yao’s lashes, trembling softly with each breath.

He suddenly wished this hot pot dinner could last forever.