The Love by Hypnotic Episode 8 Recap
> The Love by Hypnotic Recap
Having tasted the white jade osmanthus cake, Li Qian found it initially salty and hard, then subtly dry, yet with a lingering, bitter-sweet aftertaste. He realized this was his exact preference and grew suspicious that Li Mingyue had used hypnosis on him. His attendant, Queyan, suggested Mingyue's actions were merely to please him, hinting that Li Qian's unusual taste might be linked to his lost memories. Later, Li Qian tasted the cake again in private.
Li Mingyue visited Li Qian, claiming her head wound was bothering her and asking for wound medicine. After he provided it, she feigned helplessness in applying it, prompting Li Qian to step in and assist.
This gave her the perfect opportunity to initiate a hypnotic sequence, instructing him that the next day he would wait at the palace gate, invite a woman in a red dress to Xing'an market, take her hand when she produced a peach flower handkerchief, and personally feed her when she expressed hunger. Mingyue was confident her "higher level of hypnosis" would ensure his compliance.
The following day, Li Mingyue eagerly prepared for her outing, only to discover her specific peach flower handkerchief was missing. Shortly after, a seemingly hypnotized Li Qian appeared at the gate and, to Mingyue's dismay, invited Qiao Huixin, who was coincidentally wearing a similar red dress. Mingyue quickly intervened, claiming he had mistaken them. Li Qian then repeated the invitation to Mingyue, and the three of them proceeded to the market together.
At the market, Li Mingyue was frustrated when Qiao Huixin inadvertently foiled her plan involving the handkerchief. Amidst the bustle, a mother and daughter running a stall were harassed by thugs. Mingyue courageously stepped in, and Li Qian followed, swiftly subduing the assailants with impressive skill. The grateful mother offered them a complimentary meal. As Li Qian, still under hypnosis, ordered fried rice, Qiao Huixin discreetly excused herself.
Delighted, Mingyue anticipated Li Qian feeding her, but just as he leaned in, a small bell on her wrist chimed, suddenly breaking the trance. Startled and disoriented, Li Qian was enraged. He furiously accused Mingyue of toying with his emotions, questioning the authenticity of his recent actions and feelings, from his fondness for the osmanthus cake to her very attire. Though Mingyue tried to explain her feelings were genuine, a betrayed Li Qian stormed off.
As Mingyue's tears fell, Qiao Huixin, who had observed from a distance, grew convinced that Mingyue possessed "black magic." Back at the residence, a distraught Li Mingyue wondered if Li Qian would divorce her. Queyan reassured her, revealing that Li Qian had eaten all of the osmanthus cake she had made earlier, suggesting he did not truly despise her. Reinvigorated, Mingyue brought a fresh batch of cakes to Li Qian, who was practicing archery.
Still furious, he dismissed her as a "liar." Undeterred, Mingyue defiantly stood before the target. Li Qian drew his bow and released an arrow that narrowly grazed her hair, causing her to burst into tears. That night, Li Qian returned to the archery field. He rebuffed Queyan's suggestion that he was worried about Mingyue, ordering him to tell her to stay away.
The next morning, Queyan discovered the arrows from the target were gone and the target itself had been treated with healing ointment. Noticing the same medicinal scent in Li Qian's room, Li Qian concluded he must be suffering from sleepwalking, a side effect he attributed to Mingyue's hypnosis. Meanwhile, Qiao Huixin remained perplexed by Li Qian's behavior.
King Ling, Li Qian's brother, visited her and shared his own suspicions about Li Qian's strangeness, directly implicating Li Mingyue and her "bewitching spells." He speculated that Li Qian might be willingly manipulated to benefit Xiyue. Huixin vehemently rejected this, but King Ling pointed out that Li Qian had recently defended Mingyue against accusations of colluding with rebels, insisting his brother was "deeply poisoned" by the "demon girl."
Now convinced Mingyue's abilities could restore Li Qian's memories, King Ling was summoned to the palace to discuss an upcoming royal hunt. He seized the opportunity, proposing to the Emperor that Princess Consort Zi (Li Mingyue) and Qiao Huixin should both attend. Li Qian objected, citing the male-only tradition of the hunt. King Ling countered that Huixin's presence would provide a suitable female companion, questioning if Li Qian had other reasons to object.
The Emperor, overriding Li Qian's protests, approved the proposal. He declared that his intent was to demonstrate the might of Beixuan's royal family to Mingyue, thereby ensuring Xiyue's future loyalty, and tasked King Ling with arranging the hunt.
