I Cannot Hug You Episode 12 Recap
> I Cannot Hug You Recap
Li Shiya awoke in the hospital after fainting from extreme hunger. Jiang Zhihao was there, and she told him to go home and wash up, not to worry about her. Xin Ba then arrived and expressed his shock at Li Shiya fainting due to hunger. He pulled Jiang Zhihao out of the room, scolding him for not taking better care of Li Shiya.
Jiang Zhihao explained he hadn't known she had been dieting for days, despite them having eaten out two days prior. Xin Ba warned Jiang Zhihao that if Li Shiya were ever put in danger again, he would not let him off. After Xin Ba left, Li Shiya reassured Jiang Zhihao not to feel guilty, saying it was her own choice not to eat.
Jiang Zhihao, in turn, told her that he did not like her being like that and expressed a strong desire to know more about her, including what she ate and her mood. He admitted that he had never had a romantic relationship before and hadn't wanted to get to know other people, but now he strongly desired to take care of her, which made Li Shiya's heart pound.
Upon her discharge, Xin Ba called Li Shiya, meticulously instructing her to take care of her health and adding, "After eating, stop getting entangled with human beings." Li Shiya, feeling embarrassed about the reason for her hospitalization, soon saw an unexpected sight at a crossroads. Cui Junhe was reaching out to touch Jiang Zhihao’s hair. Li Shiya immediately hung up on Xin Ba and rushed forward, pushing Cui Junhe’s arm away and positioning herself protectively in front of Jiang Zhihao.
Cui Junhe explained he was only trying to remove a leaf from Jiang Zhihao’s hair, but quickly conceded, telling Li Shiya to remove it herself since she was Jiang Zhihao's girlfriend, before departing with a promise to see them next time. Li Shiya questioned Jiang Zhihao about how often he met Cui Junhe. Jiang Zhihao explained it was infrequent, only happening because his new books had been published, and Cui Junhe was helping him get resources.
Jiang Zhihao also told her that he felt Cui Junhe was not a bad person, even mentioning that he had given him some detergent. Li Shiya, despite her sarcasm about Cui Junhe catering to Jiang Zhihao's interests, warned Jiang Zhihao to be vigilant towards strangers, fearing some might have ulterior motives.
Jiang Zhihao responded that he used to view people negatively, which made him afraid to interact, but after meeting Li Shiya, he realized some people could be genuinely kind, and he wanted to try to connect with them. Li Shiya then became distressed, realizing she had encouraged him to lower his guard, and worried about what might happen if he were to be hurt because of her.
As Jiang Zhihao walked ahead, Li Shiya quickly followed him, but she slipped and accidentally hugged him from behind. Mortified, she apologized, explaining her slip, then quickly fled. She internally noted that a "syndrome" seemed to be emerging. Back home, Li Shiya immediately called her sister, Li Lanxi, for an explanation. Li Lanxi told her that the syndrome she was experiencing was called estrus, a state all animals, including humans, experience.
However, its manifestation in vampires is tens of times stronger than in humans. Li Lanxi explained that if Li Shiya liked someone, this instinct would awaken, causing her to want to touch them and become very excited. Li Lanxi then playfully asked if Li Shiya finally liked Xin Ba, but Li Shiya quickly dismissed the idea and hung up, still deeply troubled and questioning if her state was due to a kiss she had on the island.
She tried to calm herself, dismissing the idea as nonsense. Later, Jiang Zhihao texted Li Shiya, inviting her to his home to watch a movie. Li Shiya agreed, despite her internal struggle. As they sat on the sofa, the close proximity to Jiang Zhihao triggered her symptoms again.
She tried to appear normal and even stated she loved horror movies as long as there were no ghosts, while internally trying to convince herself it was just a coincidence and not the syndrome. As they reminisced about their first date and how magical it was that they ended up together, Li Shiya's thoughts drifted to how Jiang Zhihao was once merely her prey, but now her feelings had changed.
Jiang Zhihao noticed her unease, asking if she was unwell, but before he could switch off the lights, Li Shiya's "estrus" symptoms became uncontrollable. She impulsively turned and pushed Jiang Zhihao onto the sofa. Stunned and terrified, Jiang Zhihao lay beneath her, while Li Shiya, regaining some composure, hastily announced she was unwell and fled his home once more. Back at her own home, she vowed to understand what this strange syndrome was.
Meanwhile, at work, Jiang Zhihao found himself unable to concentrate, his mind replaying the events of the previous night. He realized he could have struggled free from Li Shiya, but for some reason, he hadn't, pondering if his sensitivity to touch was diminishing. Cui Junhe then texted him, suggesting they meet to discuss the book and get some fresh air. They met at a school playground, sitting on a bench and watching children play.
Cui Junhe expressed how coming to the school brought back forgotten memories. He had already read Jiang Zhihao's initial draft and was deeply impressed by the portrayal of a forgotten and hurt character who became a murderer, rationalizing his acts. Cui Junhe particularly praised Jiang Zhihao's description of loneliness, saying it allowed him to see himself. Jiang Zhihao, in turn, confessed that he too had a dark past, which enabled him to write such a story.
Cui Junhe felt that they could become friends due to their shared deep experiences. The next morning, Jiang Zhihao arrived at Li Shiya’s home, having received two VIP tickets to an art gallery from his publisher, and invited her to join him. Li Shiya, having woken up from a vivid dream about Jiang Zhihao and still grappling with her uncontrollable urges, initially refused with an excuse, fearing she would lose control again.
However, when Jiang Zhihao mentioned he would then invite Cui Junhe instead, Li Shiya quickly changed her mind, reluctantly agreeing to go to prevent them from being alone. At the crowded art exhibition, Li Shiya kept her distance from Jiang Zhihao, trying to avoid any physical contact, but also kept an eye on Cui Junhe. Jiang Zhihao called her over to walk with them, trying to engage her in viewing his favorite calligrapher's work.
Li Shiya, repeatedly wanting to touch Jiang Zhihao, made an excuse to examine the material of a display, while internally telling herself to endure her urges. Cui Junhe, observing her behavior, seemed to notice her peculiar distraction. After a while, Jiang Zhihao excused himself to buy drinks, leaving Li Shiya and Cui Junhe alone. Cui Junhe immediately challenged Li Shiya, questioning what kind of bodily contact could happen between men and warning her to find another "prey."
He bluntly stated that Jiang Zhihao was alluring and he was not interested in sharing his prey. Li Shiya insisted she wasn't interested in his hunt, but Cui Junhe, revealing he was aware of her situation, further provoked her by mentioning her previous fainting from starvation in the elevator and her current inability to stop herself from touching Jiang Zhihao, calling it an "estrus towards a human." Li Shiya, however, denied it, declaring, "Estrus? What nonsense are you saying? !
I just like the taste of my prey." Cui Junhe found the messed-up scene interesting and warned her to resolve her urges soon, or he would do it himself. Li Shiya countered by accusing him of being the person who followed her on the island and was now "using" Jiang Zhihao, recognizing a unique, unreleased perfume on him. She suspected him of being behind the recent disappearances of vampires.
Cui Junhe vehemently denied stalking her or being involved in the missing vampire cases, reiterating his intrigue in Jiang Zhihao. He explained that the perfume was a test fragrance given to him by NL Cosmetics after a photoshoot. When Jiang Zhihao returned with drinks, the tense conversation ceased. As Cui Junhe left, he told Jiang Zhihao to take care of his health, a remark that confused Li Shiya.
In a separate development, an associate reported to Yu Ze, the Vice President of NL Cosmetics, that a "lethal mistake" had occurred. The associate, who had been on the island, realized Li Shiya had smelled the unique, unreleased perfume on him, and later called him asking about the list of people who had received the perfume. The associate expressed fear that this clue could lead them to Yu Ze and offered to turn himself in to protect him.
Yu Ze, who seemed to be in a hurry, offered his associate money to leave, stating that he himself didn't have much time. Yu Ze then visited a restrained vampire named Xiao Can, who was being held captive. He angrily scolding the guards for her ill-treatment and ordered them to untie her, feigning concern and denying any initial intention for her to suffer.
Xiao Can, however, saw through his act, accusing him of switching tactics from "bad guy" to "good guy." She requested a quick death, but Yu Ze insisted she must live. He needed her alive to fulfill his plans, even though she refused to give him a mysterious name list he desperately sought.
Yu Ze then changed his approach, telling Xiao Can she could live like a normal person in that facility, free to do anything except contact the outside world, and even offered his own energy for her to feed on, claiming it was an act of kindness from someone "about to die." Li Shiya continued to avoid Jiang Zhihao, even when he came to her house to walk to the bookstore together.
She confided in a friend via phone about her ongoing struggles with the "estrus" syndrome, admitting she couldn't look at Jiang Zhihao directly or stop herself from wanting to touch him. Her friend, also a vampire, understood the syndrome and advised Li Shiya to first clarify her true feelings for Jiang Zhihao: was it love or merely treating him as prey?
The friend then offered a unique solution to control the urges: singing a children's song from the heart, which she claimed worked effectively. Later, when Jiang Zhihao tried to check on Li Shiya again, she panicked as her heart pounded, pushing him away and claiming to be fine but just tired, before rushing off and attempting to calm herself by singing a children's song.
Soon after, Xin Ba called Li Shiya, informing her about an upcoming vampire ballroom party at Dream Bar, to which only vampires in the entertainment world were invited. Despite Li Shiya's reluctance and confusion, Xin Ba insisted she attend, suggesting it would help her clear her mind from her "wild imaginations" due to being too close to humans. He even threatened to abduct her if she refused, stating he must take her. Xin Ba then made plans to attend the party, asking his assistant, Shà Huà n, to lie to their manager about his absence by saying he was pregnant.
