The Love by Hypnotic Episode 31 Recap
> The Love by Hypnotic Recap
Qiao Huixin, upon hearing that Li Qian has supposedly died at Yunsi's hands, collapses in sorrow. Li Xun attempts to comfort her, but she vehemently insists her sadness is not for Li Qian himself, but because he did not perish by her own hand. Li Xun tries to persuade her that with Li Qian dead and their long-standing feud settled, she can finally shed her hatred and live a life of carefree happiness, suggesting they start anew.
However, Qiao Huixin dismisses his words, telling him to leave so she can celebrate her enemy's demise throughout the night. The next morning, Li Qian awakens to discover Li Mingyue gone. He finds a letter from her in which she uses a Xiyue proverb, comparing a celestial Tian Mountain flower to lowly cow dung, to describe their vast social difference.
Li Mingyue states that because of her, he has been unable to be a proper prince and has been forced to endure hardships. Believing she is holding him back, she urges him to return to his princely life in Beixuan while she returns to her own humble existence, hoping he can live freely without her. Upon reading this, Li Qian immediately sets out to find her.
Meanwhile, Qiao Huixin prepares for suicide, toasting to Li Qian's supposed death and her own. Li Xun interrupts her, questioning why she is so devastated by Li Qian's death that she would follow him. Qiao Huixin explains that with her wish fulfilled, living feels no different from being a walking corpse. Li Xun then reveals that Li Qian might still be alive, explaining that the corpse found had a different body shape and was likely a substitute.
He speculates that Li Qian and Li Mingyue have likely fled far away, urging Qiao Huixin to let go. However, the revelation reignites Qiao Huixin's hope. She insists that since he is alive, she cannot let go and demands to begin a search. Seeing her unwavering resolve, Li Xun agrees to help her search for them the following day. That evening, Li Mingyue finds lodging at a shady inn.
Having run out of money, she offers to work in exchange for a room. She quickly identifies it as a "black shop" due to its amateurish secret codes and dismisses the obviously drugged wine. Despite her brave front, she finds herself constantly thinking of Li Qian, with memories triggered by simple objects like a painting or a red candle.
Unbeknownst to her, Li Qian is secretly watching her from outside, wondering why she chose to leave him if she missed him so deeply. Soon after, two of the inn's staff attempt to ambush Li Mingyue, but Li Qian quickly dispatches them. Inside, Li Mingyue attempts to hypnotize herself to forget Li Qian, believing it's better to endure short-term pain than prolonged suffering. However, she struggles to concentrate, especially as she becomes more intoxicated.
When Li Qian enters, a deeply inebriated Li Mingyue mistakes him for a vivid hallucination. She passionately embraces and kisses him, then repeatedly orders the "hallucination" to disappear, confessing that his presence causes her immense pain. She reveals she must forget him to prevent him from suffering a fate like Yunsi, whose death she blames on herself. Li Qian, confirming his reality, responds that his own heart would break from the pain if he were to leave her.
Overwhelmed, Li Mingyue finally succumbs to her intoxication and collapses onto the bed. The following morning, Li Mingyue wakes to find the inn's occupants gone. She then discovers Li Qian still by her side and immediately urges him to return to his life as a prince. Convinced that as long as he remembers her, he will never abandon her, she attempts to hypnotize him into forgetting all their memories together. Li Qian initially plays along, feigning amnesia.
However, he quickly embraces her, revealing his deception and stating that no matter how many times she tries to make him forget, he will simply fall in love with her again. He declares that she must never again attempt to leave his side. It is then that Li Mingyue notices his severe injuries and scolds him for being so foolish. As she cries, promising repeatedly that she will never leave him again, Li Qian collapses from his wounds.
Meanwhile, Song Jinyu arrives to inform Kangle and Sikong Zhen that King Ling has reported Li Qian's death, stating that both he and Li Mingyue were burned to ashes. Kangle vehemently refuses to believe this. Sikong Zhen calmly analyzes the situation, deducing that the burnt corpses must be decoys arranged by Yunsi to help Li Qian and Li Mingyue escape, as Yunsi would never have harmed Li Mingyue so brutally.
He concludes that they must be attempting to return to Xing'an to inform the Emperor about the border situation. Song Jinyu volunteers to search the city outskirts for them, while Kangle decides to stay and care for the injured Sikong Zhen. A doctor examines the collapsed Li Qian, diagnosing that his old wounds have reopened, leaving him severely weakened and at risk of not recovering without proper care. However, the doctor refuses to provide free medicine.
Unable to afford it, Li Mingyue diligently bandages Li Qian's wounds herself. As she works, she gazes admiringly at his face. Suspecting he is feigning unconsciousness, she teases him, threatening to "do something indecent" if he doesn't wake up. Li Qian then opens his eyes, revealing he was indeed awake, and playfully retorts that she was the one attempting to be indecent first.
Li Qian then gently reminds her not to push him away again and asks if she is truly willing to never return to Beixuan. Li Mingyue affirms her commitment, stating that if Beixuan has no place for him, it has no place for her either. Li Qian then sets his own conditions: she is forbidden from hypnotizing herself or him, because he does not want to forget her, and she must not forget him either.
This revelation makes Li Mingyue realize that her "hallucination" during her self-hypnosis attempt was, in fact, Li Qian's real presence. Embarrassed, she calls him a "lecherous and shameless prince," to which he playfully responds that "someone" seemed to enjoy it, teasing her further by asking if she wants him to make up for their "final regret."
