Why are all the heroines falling for me, the villain?

Li Zhu straightened her messy bangs and said somewhat anxiously.

"Humph!"

"I was wrong, Mom. I promise I will never lie to you again. I will agree to whatever you say."

"Then go get your hair cut. How did you grow such long bangs after starting high school? They're all messy and ridiculous. Since you're being discharged from the hospital today, get them cut! Tidy up your messy appearance."

"No, this isn't something inappropriate. It's a deliberate disguise I made, and it's very effective. So, I'll just leave it as is."

“I don’t care! Sigh, my son has grown up. He not only lies to his mother, but he’s also learned to talk back. He’ll listen to me the moment I say something, but he forgets it the moment I say it.”

"I……"

With her mother scolding her and looking pitiful, Li Zhu had no choice but to agree.

……

After being discharged from the hospital.

Li Zhu and the others arrived at a fairly large barbershop nearby.

"Mom, look, I've already tidied it up, you don't need to cut it anymore."

Li Zhu fiddled with herself in front of the mirror for a few moments, sweeping her hair back to reveal half of her forehead and a pale face that hadn't seen the sun in a long time.

"Barber, this is fine. Give my son this hairstyle, it looks good."

Rinako didn't care what her son said at all. She picked up the latest fashion magazine, pointed to an unfamiliar young male celebrity, and said to the hairdresser.

"Oh, that should be fine."

After glancing at Li Zhu and then at the photo in the magazine, the hairdresser nodded, wearing cool sunglasses to indicate that there was no problem.

"You'd better sit down!"

Riko turned her head, raised her eyebrows, and gave Riko a fierce look that made her obediently take her seat.

"By the way, this hairstyle needs some styling, so it needs a texture perm."

"Okay, I'll give my son this hairstyle, a handsome, clean and neat one."

Riko was excitedly discussing the details of Riko's hairstyle with the hairdresser, while he sat slumped in his chair, looking utterly dejected...

An hour later.

"Wow! My God! Are you really my precious son?!"

"Madam, I must say, your son is really handsome!" Even the aloof, sunglasses-wearing barber couldn't help but exclaim.

"..."

In fact, not only them, but even Li Zhu was amazed when she looked at herself in the mirror.

Looking left and right, confirming that he really did have this astonishing appearance, he suddenly felt a little proud.

Hmph, right? I already said that my looks are about equal to the male lead, Shimazuga.

Unexpectedly, after simply fixing his own hair, although his face was still slightly pale, he really had the air of a handsome young man in every smile and frown.

Of course, Li Zhu didn't know that his appearance was completely different from Shimazu He's heroic and confident style.

The sickly frailty he occasionally exuded would very likely attract a perverted follower.

……

Chapter Twenty-Two: The Years Locked in Photos

At this moment, some young women outside the barbershop couldn't contain their curiosity and wanted to come in to see this handsome young man—no, they wanted to come in for a haircut.

This also includes some young men who, seeing Li Zhu's hairstyle, are eager to try it out.

The sunglasses-wearing barber saw a business opportunity and took the opportunity to make a bold suggestion to Li Zhu and the others.

"Madam, although it may be a bit presumptuous, I would like to request that you take a few photos of your son as examples of our salon's excellent hairstyles. Would that be alright?"

As if afraid that Li Zhu's mother would refuse, he immediately proposed a way to compensate her.

"Don't worry, this haircut is completely free. We'll also give you and your son a three-year platinum membership. During that time, either of you will get a 50% discount on any haircut you get at our salon!"

"Well... I need to ask my son's opinion." Upon hearing about the discount, Risako was tempted, but she still needed to consult her son's thoughts first.

"Case studies? What specific format are they presented in?"

Li Zhu was also afraid that he would misuse her photos, which would damage her image and reputation.

"It's included in our booklet. Take a look, that's roughly it."

As he spoke, the sunglasses-wearing barber took out a photo album with about twenty pages of pictures of handsome men and beautiful women, but they were still quite different from Li Zhu's looks.

The man in sunglasses knew that Li Zhu's looks were top-tier, so he offered her more generous terms.

"Okay, no problem."

This form of blessing is acceptable.

Next, under the barber's instructions, Li Zhu put on the clothes prepared by the shop, posed for a few photos, and although he looked calm, he was actually a little nervous inside.

As more and more girls gathered to watch, some boys also joined the crowd.

While feeling nervous, Li Zhu was also puzzled. Where did these people come from? In just a few minutes of changing clothes, this rather large store was packed with people.

Compared to the boys who were attracted to Li Zhu's handsome hairstyle, the girls were clearly more interested in Li Zhu himself. They were all eager to make a move, but fortunately, Li Zhu's mother was there to keep them in check, so none of them dared to go up to him, ask for his contact information, or flirt with him.

Excluding the time spent changing clothes, the shooting time was actually not long, because Li Zhu's face is very photogenic, and the shooting went very smoothly.

Moreover, his indifferent gaze in the photos carries a coldness that keeps strangers at bay, which contradicts a certain sickly feeling about him, making these photos even more alluring to some women.

The barber wearing sunglasses became more and more satisfied with the look, and in the end, he even gave him all the clothes that Li Zhu had worn, including the white school uniform suit that he hadn't had time to take off.

Riko was overjoyed. These clothes looked expensive, and she never expected to get so many beautiful clothes for free.

along the way.

Aside from the fact that she gets 100% of passersby's attention, which makes Li Zhu feel a bit awkward.

Add to that her mother's incessant self-praise, her nose practically pointing to the sky with pride. Comparing herself to her mother in memory, Li Zhu discovered for the first time that her mother had such an adorable side.

With a look of reminiscence, she said that Li Zhu had perfectly inherited her outstanding appearance, and her suggestion to take him to get a haircut was absolutely right!

She kept grumbling that she had been so careless about Li Zhu's appearance, and hadn't even noticed that her precious son had this talent. She decided that she would never allow Li Zhu to be sloppy again!

This can't be blamed on Risako. After all, before her son went to high school, she had to work two or three jobs every day due to financial difficulties. When she got home from get off work and returned to her rented room with the small light on, all she was greeted by was cold food on the table and Risako sleeping soundly in the room. She worked from dawn till dusk and didn't have time to take care of her son.

Now things are much better. With the pressure of life greatly reduced, she has gradually stopped working so hard and has started to have time to pay attention to the little things in her son's life.

My mom had probably been holding it in for a long time, because even after we got home, she was still talking animatedly.

But everyone's patience has its limits. Li Zhu's patience was almost full. She couldn't stand her mother's constant nagging anymore. She was so old and still so vain. She poured herself a glass of water and muttered to herself.

"Mom, you said I perfectly inherited your beauty, and that I was a famous beauty in the surrounding area back then. You're not lying to me, are you?"

"Hey kid, your mom has changed a lot, but I dare say that when I was young, I was second to none. I had countless suitors. You wait, I'll go find some photos to show you!"

When Risako heard her child questioning her, she yelled and went to her room to find photos to show her son.

A short while later.

"I found it! Ah Zhu, come and see quickly! Don't fall head over heels for your mom's beauty!"

"Okay, I know, I'm coming right now," Li Zhu replied perfunctorily, bringing over the glass of water she hadn't even finished drinking.

My mother handed me four or five slightly wrinkled photos with a face full of excitement, like a child eager to show them off.

"let me see."

puff--

Upon seeing this, Li Zhu spat out a mouthful of cold water.

"My God, Mom, this, this is you?!"

Honestly, if you don't see the photo in person, it's really hard to match it with the actual person.

This is even more outrageous than Qiao Biluo's case.

The girl in the photo with flowing long hair, a slender and delicate appearance, and a large bust and long legs is actually my mom?!

How can I possibly get in touch with them?!

"Hmph, what do you think? I wasn't just bragging, was I? Back then, whenever other women saw me, it was like, 'Compared to the moon and the firefly,' there was no comparison at all!"

Seeing her son's surprised reaction, Riko was very satisfied. Her face was flushed, and she had a big smile on her face. Her wrinkles had been smoothed out, and she looked as if she had become ten years younger.

"Time is a cruel mistress, no, it's like pig feed. As we eat, we can never go back to how we used to be."

Hearing Li Zhu's sentiments, her mother smiled knowingly.

Li Zhu couldn't help but start flipping through his mother's photos one by one. His mother happily explained when the photos were taken, vividly showing her son the image of her mother when she was young, just as she remembered it.

The people inside laughed carefree, forever freezing that innocent and joyful, most beautiful time of the girl's eighteenth year in that day.

Until he flipped to the last photo.

Li Zhu's heart began to feel a mix of emotions, and her mother's smile slowly faded, as if she had touched an old wound in the family. Now, when it was laid out in front of her again, it was still incredibly fresh, with the blood still wet.

The photo was actually only half of the picture. It showed Riko, dressed as a married woman with a gentle expression, looking to the opposite side. Her eyes were only on her son and the person whose picture had been torn off. He must be the father that Riko had never met in her memory.

With glistening tears in her eyes, her voice trembled slightly as she recounted the events of more than ten years ago to Li Zhu.

Back then, they held hands with their toddler, smiling, carefree little Li Zhu. Everything was beautiful, everything was complete, including the photos.

As for what happened next, her mother remained silent, and Li Zhu didn't want to know either.

All he knew was that from then on, only that beautiful figure remained in his life, and those unpleasant things would fade away with time.

All he knew was that his mother, Riko, hadn't become who she was today overnight. All the peaceful moments in Riko's life were the result of his mother's hard work and dedication. The love she poured into Riko touched everyone.

The pressures of life can cause this young and beautiful woman to lose her beauty, which she is so proud of, and her wealthy and fulfilling life.

But she didn't give up. She remained optimistic, adorable, and passionate about life.

"This is wonderful. I never thought that God would give me the opportunity to fill the void in my heart," Li Zhu thought to herself.

Although he only had the original owner's memories, that kind of maternal love made him, who grew up in an orphanage, feel deeply empathetic and warmed his heart.

If you're still wondering why Li Zhu, who isn't the original protagonist but rather someone who traveled through time, would empathize with and deeply admire and love this great mother, then...

Then Li Zhu might ask you, after so many years of dealing with this world, are you still as radiant and full of interest as ever?

……

P.S.: My stomach has been hurting since noon, so this chapter might be a little short.

This is a transitional chapter; the main storyline will begin in the next chapter.

Chapter Twenty-Three: A Sensation

Riko snatched the photo from Riko's hand, turned around and secretly wiped away her tears, then acted as if nothing had happened and asked him what he wanted to eat.

"Are you hungry? Let me see what's in the fridge. Today is our discharge day; we should be happy."

"it is good."

Li Zhu no longer showed any sadness. She had survived the most difficult and tiring period, and now she had to look forward.

It was already six o'clock in the afternoon when we finished eating.

Li Zhu's mother received a phone call and went out, leaving Li Zhu alone on the sofa at home watching TV, but she felt a little uneasy.

"Hmm, I think I've forgotten something."

Li Zhu slowly took out her phone, and as soon as she opened it, more than a dozen Line messages popped up.

They were all sent by the same person, Yuko Sakurai.

"Li Zhu, where are you? I didn't see you at the hospital, where did you go?"

“I went to see Dr. Kato, and he said you were discharged today. Why didn’t you tell me?”

"Lizhu, are you home yet?"

……

"I'm at your doorstep right now, where are you?"

"It seems no one is home. Where would you be?"

……