The Love by Hypnotic Episode 21 Recap
> The Love by Hypnotic Recap
After Li Mingyue's attempts to tidy the room from the previous night's mess, she offered Li Qian a sincere apology, promising to be neater. Li Qian, however, seemed preoccupied and tossed her several books to read. His attention shifted when he discovered his beloved folding fan, which always sat on his desk, was missing. Growing anxious, he questioned its whereabouts, and Li Mingyue recalled using it to fan the flames while firing clay figures in the kitchen.
Li Qian rushed to the kitchen and found the fan, but it was heavily stained and bent out of shape. He was heartbroken, lamenting that it was an irreplaceable final work from the master Wu Tianlin. When Li Mingyue cautiously suggested finding someone to repair or copy it, Li Qian retorted that explaining its value to her was like playing a lute to a cow.
Annoyed, Li Mingyue snapped back, questioning why he was so particular about a fan when he had been so dismissive of her own pleasures. She challenged whether his literary tastes were inherently nobler than her simple joys of eating and drinking, accusing him of constant arrogance and self-centeredness. As her anger flared, she began deliberately messing up the room again.
Recognizing the impasse, Li Qian stated he had something important to discuss and, despite her protests, gently lifted her onto a chair to talk. Li Qian explained that their vastly different backgrounds and habits naturally created difficulties, but stressed that any successful marriage requires mutual effort and understanding. Li Mingyue disagreed, proposing that direct rules were more effective than vague understanding. She suggested a "shift-based system" where they would take turns being the head of the household.
During one's shift, the other would have to obey their rules or face punishment. Li Qian found the system unheard of, but when Li Mingyue challenged him to offer a better alternative, he reluctantly agreed to try. Before he could object to any specifics, Li Mingyue seized his hand and pressed his fingerprint onto the written agreement, sealing the deal. On the first day, Li Qian took charge.
He had Li Mingyue awakened at dawn by a rooster and confiscated her hidden stash of dried fruit preserves. He declared that early rising brought good fortune and presented her with an article listing "ominous" habits to avoid, such as eating in bed, sighing without cause, and sleeping "like a corpse"—all of which were her favorite pastimes. He ordered her to clean the bedroom thoroughly.
Frustrated by the endless rules, Li Mingyue sighed, and when reprimanded, she defiantly spat on the floor. As punishment, Li Qian ordered her to memorize Li Bai's poem "Invitation to Wine." Mistaking it for a lesson on drinking, she scoffed, but Li Qian corrected her, chastising her for the lack of literary knowledge that led to her ruining his fan.
Li Mingyue found the poem illogical and refused to learn it, prompting an exasperated Li Qian to declare she would get no breakfast until she recited it perfectly. That evening, Li Mingyue recited the poem haphazardly, mixing up lines into nonsense. Still fuming, she refused to let Li Qian into bed, claiming her limbs were too sore to move and suggesting he sleep in the study.
Seeing through her act, Li Qian accused her of deliberately teasing him and playfully rolled over, pinning her beneath him. Li Mingyue warned him that at midnight, she would become the head of the house. She immediately declared her first rule: no early rising. If any sound woke her, he would be severely punished, and he was forbidden from leaving the bed before she did.
In turn, Li Qian warned her not to be lazy, reminding her that when his turn came again, he would show no mercy if she still hadn't memorized the poem. The next morning, Li Mingyue slept in until the sun was high in the sky. Lying in bed beside her, Li Qian found himself unconsciously reciting her jumbled version of "Invitation to Wine."
He realized with alarm that his thoughts were starting to align with hers, even finding pleasure in sleeping in, which he had previously deemed "ominous." He rationalized it as simply upholding their agreement. Li Mingyue then initiated two more "joyous experiences" for him. First, she made him eat in bed, threatening to make him use his bare hands if he refused.
Next, after teasing him with a plain outfit, she revealed he was to wear the uniform of his attendant, Queyan. Despite Queyan's protests, Li Mingyue insisted. Li Qian only conceded when she threatened to borrow even more unsuitable clothes from others. Once dressed, she complimented him, noting his temperament made him look imposing no matter what he wore. Later, she took him to a street stall for wontons.
When Li Qian disdained the common fare, Li Mingyue explained her "city rules": status is just the luck of birth, so one shouldn't look down on the less fortunate. She also taught him her trick for finding the best food stalls—look for the most fresh, dirty bowls, as it indicates high turnover and delicious food. Surprised by her street smarts, Li Qian noted her fluency in marketplace logic despite her inability to memorize poetry.
She retorted that it simply showed their different talents. He joked that he hoped her skills could save him if his luck ever ran out, and she promised they would. That night, as he tried to sleep, she teased that the "head of the house" was not yet satisfied, only letting him rest after he asked if she was pleased.
They reflected on how their "fire and ice" personalities would never have united without their arranged marriage, then embraced and fell asleep. The following day, Li Qian was back in charge. He immediately demanded to know if Li Mingyue had memorized "Invitation to Wine," threatening to cancel all her meals. In response, Li Mingyue adopted an unusually tender demeanor, thanking him for waking her so she could prepare his court attire.
Suspicious of her sudden obedience, Li Qian accused her of trying to flatter her way out of the punishment. As she helped him dress, Li Mingyue began to subtly hypnotize him, commanding him to forget all about the poem. However, her voice failed to take hold. Instead, it triggered a vivid memory in Li Qian's mind of his own mother, her gentle voice reciting "Invitation to Wine" to him when he was a child, completely overriding Mingyue's suggestion.
