The Love by Hypnotic Episode 13 Recap
> The Love by Hypnotic Recap
Following their confrontation, Li Mingyue questions if she is merely a pawn in Li Qian’s schemes but stops herself, deciding it is too exhausting to seek clarity. She assumes he wants her to act as a fake couple to deceive her second brother. When Li Qian asks if she truly doesn't want an answer, she dismisses the topic, quoting a Xiyue proverb about the futility of overthinking.
Remembering Sikong Zhen’s advice to show his sincerity through actions, Li Qian ends the conversation and tells her to rest. Later that night, both struggle to sleep. Li Qian surprises Li Mingyue by apologizing for causing her to fall earlier. She accepts, admitting her own carelessness. He checks her shoulder wound, noting it's minor, but seeing her restlessness, he asks why she is upset.
When she replies that she's annoyed, Li Qian mistakenly assumes it's because of her actions toward him during their drunken encounter. A confused Li Mingyue denies this, questioning what she supposedly did. Overwhelmed, Li Qian suddenly kisses her, leaving her flustered. He quickly pulls away, sensing he is losing control, and awkwardly declares them "even." Alone, Li Mingyue is bewildered by the kiss and her own lack of resistance, attributing it to hypnosis and telling herself not to overthink it.
She also reflects on Yunsi's strange behavior and Li Qian's unpredictable moods, dismissing Tanli's suggestion that Li Qian is jealous by reasoning that Yunsi is her good friend and Li Qian has never truly considered her his wife. The next day, Yunsi arrives and invites Li Mingyue to a horse farm he has bought for her in the suburbs. Excited, she agrees. Tanli advises her to inform Li Qian, but Yunsi persuades her not to.
Li Mingyue concurs, fearing Li Qian would either stop them or insist on joining and ruin the fun. However, as they are about to leave, Li Qian intercepts them, fabricating an urgent summons from the Emperor for a midday greeting, an unusual royal custom. Frustrated by Li Qian's interference and sensing Li Mingyue's growing distance, Yunsi confronts Kaierbi. He demands to know what threats forced her into the marriage.
Kaierbi denies any coercion, insisting Li Mingyue agreed to the marriage willingly and now has genuine feelings for Li Qian. He sternly warns Yunsi to abandon his affections, questioning if he intends to ruin her happiness. At the palace, Li Qian and Li Mingyue greet the Emperor and Consort Shu. Li Qian claims Li Mingyue had wished to visit and apologizes for interrupting their meal. The Empress welcomes them, and the Emperor invites them to drink.
When Li Qian notices Li Mingyue’s discomfort, he expresses concern, suggesting she may have caught a cold. The conversation turns to heirs, with the Empress noting their lack of a child. Li Mingyue mischievously interjects that it might be "a little difficult," causing the Emperor to wonder if Li Qian has a hidden ailment. The Empress dismisses this and, upon their departure, gives them fertility medicine prepared by the royal physicians. Upon returning to the manor, they find Yunsi waiting.
He again invites Li Mingyue out for the next day, suggesting riding and archery at the horse farm. Li Qian immediately forbids it, citing the Emperor’s instructions and the fertility medicine. Undeterred, Yunsi proposes a visit to the Jinxiu Restaurant instead. Li Qian thwarts this plan as well, claiming they must visit Sikong Zhen, who is suddenly ill. Left with no choice, Li Mingyue agrees.
That evening, a disgruntled Li Mingyue gags on the bitter fertility medicine, muttering that Li Qian should be the one drinking it. He then enters her chamber, intending to sleep with her. She refuses, demanding he explain why he keeps obstructing her meetings with her brother and Yunsi. When he doesn't give a clear answer, he embraces her and pulls her onto the bed. Li Mingyue pushes him away and storms off to sleep in Tanli’s room.
Defeated, Li Qian orders Queyan to send her quilt and pillow, ensuring she stays warm. During the night, Li Qian sleepwalks again. He finds Li Mingyue’s pillow, smells it, and then proceeds to drink three bowls of the bitter fertility medicine, even rubbing his stomach as if he were pregnant.
The next morning, as Li Qian and Li Mingyue prepare to visit Sikong Zhen, Yunsi appears with a potent Xiyue elixir, insisting on joining them to help Li Mingyue's ailing friend. Despite Li Qian's objections, Yunsi climbs into their carriage. At Sikong Zhen’s manor, Li Qian signals his friend, who feigns illness. Yunsi offers his elixir, but the charade is exposed when Song Jinyu arrives, asking why Sikong Zhen isn't at the Cuihong Pavilion for their scheduled music session.
Cornered, Li Qian angrily admits he faked the illness because he couldn't stand her being with other men. Surprisingly, his confession pleases Li Mingyue, who, tired of the arguing, goes to the kitchen to bake pastries for everyone. In the kitchen, Yunsi joins her and reminisces about the first time she made pastries for his birthday. Li Mingyue, however, has no memory of this, insisting she only learned to bake for Li Qian after arriving in Beixuan.
Yunsi presses further, asking if she recalls him being present when she delivered the foal, Feng, or him teaching her to shoot three arrows at once. She remembers the events but misattributes his role to her father or brother. Disturbed by her memory loss, Yunsi expresses concern, but she dismisses it as a bad memory, reiterating that he is her best friend before sending him out.
Li Mingyue presents her bizarre pastries, an experimental blend of herbs, meats, and vegetables with sour, sweet, bitter, spicy, and salty flavors. While everyone else recoils, Li Qian eats several pieces. He explains that though the taste is strange, the thought behind them is profound; she remembered someone’s dislike for sweets and made them with that person in mind. He declares that the pastry's sweetness lies not in its flavor, but in her heart.
He takes her hand, and she smiles sweetly, while Yunsi watches, consumed by jealousy and anguish. He laments that she can remember small details about Li Qian but has forgotten their entire shared history. As a heavy rain begins, Yunsi sits alone in a pavilion, overwhelmed with despair. He sweeps the cups from the table in frustration. In that moment, a realization dawns on him: he whispers the name "Zhuxin Bell," suspecting hypnosis is the cause of her lost memories.
