Chapter 43

Lip looked at Mandy with a smile, his eyes full of tenderness and affection.

Mandy felt Lip's gaze and smiled happily.

"What are you looking at?" Mandy asked knowingly.

"My girlfriend is beautiful—why shouldn't I take a second look?"

Hearing Lip's bold proclamation, Mandy blushed so hard that even her ears turned red.

"Keep your voice down!" Mandy whispered shyly, tugging on Lip's shirt.

"Hehe, alright!" Lip grinned.

The reason behind Lip's antics was to help Mandy grow comfortable with being the center of attention and to remind her that someone deeply cared for her. Mandy had always struggled with insecurity, whether it was doubting Ian's excuses for avoiding her or her lack of confidence while working as a waitress.

"Mandy, Lip's right—you're beautiful!" Joe chimed in with a smile. "Come on, have a seat."

"Thank you!" Mandy said as she sat in the barber chair.

"Mandy, do you have any ideas about your hairstyle?" Joe asked, guiding her to share her thoughts.

"Well… not really. Since Lip says you're the best, I'll trust you!"

"Alright, Mandy. First off, I wouldn't recommend dyeing your hair. Your natural dark brown color, often called 'dark blonde,' is textured and rare. It's perfect as it is."

Mandy smiled and nodded.

Joe got to work, carefully creating Mandy's hairstyle. Lip stood nearby, watching intently, unwilling to miss even a single moment of Mandy's transformation. To him, this was true appreciation of beauty.

An hour later, Joe stepped back and exclaimed, "Lip, come here and check out your girlfriend's new style!"

"Wow, it's even more stunning than I imagined!" Lip said, marveling at Mandy's slightly curled long hair, which now cascaded effortlessly over her shoulders. Her bangs, trimmed just above her eyebrows, emphasized her natural charm with an added hint of playfulness. The transformation made Mandy look both elegant and irresistibly cute.

"Wait, Lip, look at this!" Joe said, tying Mandy's hair into a bun with a black rubber band.

Mandy's new look was adorable, drawing another round of compliments.

"Joe, this is amazing!" Lip said, giving him a thumbs-up.

"Hehe, as long as you're satisfied!" Joe replied happily. "This hairstyle suits Mandy perfectly—it's long-lasting, easy to manage, and highlights her best features."

Mandy repeatedly thanked Joe, echoing her gratitude with cheerful enthusiasm.

"Joe, how much is it?"

"Lip, aren't you cutting your hair too?" Joe asked, a little surprised.

"It's past three o'clock, and I still need to take Mandy shopping for clothes. I'll come by later when I have time."

In truth, Lip had another reason for skipping his haircut—he didn't want Mandy to misunderstand if she saw him chatting and laughing with Nora during the wash.

"The haircut was originally $30, but just give me $25," Joe said.

"Here you go!" Lip handed Joe $35, then took Mandy's hand, waved goodbye to Joe and Nora, and left the barbershop.

As the couple exited, Nora turned to Joe and said, "Brother, Lip's a good guy!"

"Yeah, I really like him. It'd be great if he were my brother-in-law! But alas, he has a girlfriend—what a shame."

"Hmph!" Nora huffed, tossing the towel she'd been holding onto a chair before retreating to the back room.

Meanwhile, Lip and Mandy strolled through the streets, browsing various clothing stores.

As they searched from shop to shop, nothing seemed to satisfy Lip. It wasn't Mandy's figure that was the problem—quite the opposite. Mandy's incredible figure made ordinary clothes seem underwhelming, especially with her long, perfectly proportioned legs.

Unintentionally, Lip wandered into a store Karen had once taken him to.

"Lip, this is a men's clothing store!" Mandy said, stopping him at the entrance.

"Is it strange for a man to go into a men's clothing store?" Lip teased.

"Uh…" Mandy hesitated, realizing her mistake.

"Relax," Lip said with a chuckle. "I'm not here to buy men's clothes. I just want to ask the owner if she knows a good women's clothing store nearby."

"Oh… sorry, I misunderstood."

"It's alright. I should've explained myself better," Lip said, leading Mandy into the shop.

"Lip, back again to buy clothes?" the shop owner greeted with a warm smile.

"Not this time," Lip replied. "I wanted to ask if you know of any good women's clothing stores nearby."

"Ah, are you buying clothes for this lovely lady?"

"Yes, for my girlfriend," Lip said proudly.

"Well, you're in luck! The shop right next door is a women's clothing store I own, too. My sister's taking care of it. You'll definitely find something great there."

"Really?"

"Of course! The last time I saw you, the lady with you also bought something from that shop."

"Perfect, thank you!"

Lip took Mandy's hand and headed next door to the other shop owned by the cheerful proprietress.