Party A Who Lives Beside Me Episode 17 Recap
> Party A Who Lives Beside Me Recap
Li Zenan returned to the hospital with the soup he had prepared, much to Ye Xuan's emotional gratitude. She confessed that she was beginning to doubt if coming to Shanghai was the right decision. After graduation, her uncle had arranged a stable job for her in Mianyang, but she had always yearned to see the wider world.
Her mother had supported her ambition, leading Ye Xuan to Shanghai, but now she regretted it, thinking she could have cared for her mother better if she had stayed home, rather than being unaware of her mother's illness. Suddenly, Mr. Wu called, demanding Ye Xuan come to the company immediately, regardless of what she was doing. Li Zenan reassured her, telling her to go and that he would handle things at the hospital.
Ye Xuan thanked him again, admitting she wouldn't know what to do without him by her side. The next day, Ye Xuan arrived at the hospital only to be informed that her mother, Zhang Hongying, had been moved to a different room. Li Zenan had arranged it, worried that the patient in the same room snored too much. Zhang Hongying, concerned about the expense, insisted on being discharged, but Ye Xuan, fearing for her health, refused.
This experience made Zhang Hongying even fonder of Li Zenan, and she even made sure to ask Li Zenan if he liked women, then reported this to Ye Xuan. Regarding a razor found at home, Ye Xuan explained it was hers for shaving her legs, which her mother reluctantly accepted, though she clearly sensed an unusual connection between Li Zenan and Ye Xuan.
Despite Ye Xuan’s repeated assertions that they were merely neighbors, her mother couldn't fathom a man being so attentive to someone he wasn't closely related to. Zhang Hongying expressed her worry for Ye Xuan, hoping she would be responsible for herself and others. Ye Xuan admitted she wanted to sort out her feelings quickly, but with changes in both their careers and her mother's arrival in Shanghai, she felt it wasn't the right time.
Her mother didn't press further, only advising Ye Xuan not to resist when love comes, and not to regret it if things don't work out after trying. Li Zenan confirmed to Ye Xuan that he hadn't told Zhang Hongying about them swapping apartments, which relieved Ye Xuan. She then explained that Mr. Wu had called her because he wanted to acquire shares in Zhejiang Jas Pouch while they were facing a funding shortage.
However, his terms were very demanding, putting Ye Xuan in a difficult position, but she felt obliged to follow her superior's instructions. Meanwhile, Xu Guoren was avidly following a comic series. After reading the latest update, he left his usual comment and was surprised to receive a message from the author, inviting him to meet. Excited, Xu Guoren arrived at the meeting spot and instinctively tried to hide when he saw Li Zenan there.
To his shock, Li Zenan walked directly towards him, revealing that he was indeed the author of "Party B Who Lives Next Door to Me" and stated his intention to apply for the design director position at 88 Ed. Later, noticing her mother’s worn clothes, Ye Xuan bought her a new dress. However, Zhang Hongying, seeing the price, refused it, insisting Ye Xuan return it, not wanting to be a burden on her daughter.
Ye Xuan was upset, just wanting to be good to her mother. Her mother’s constant worry that Ye Xuan couldn't take care of herself, let alone her, frustrated Ye Xuan. She felt that if she were wealthy, her mother might not refuse her kindness. Li Zenan advised Ye Xuan that parents are more perceptive than we think.
Even though Ye Xuan always told her mother she was eating lavish meals and living in a luxurious apartment, her mother could see through her bravado. The more Ye Xuan tried to appear strong, the more worried her mother would become. Li Zenan urged Ye Xuan to be honest and open about her real situation, which gave Ye Xuan a sense of clarity, realizing sincerity was the best approach.
That evening, as they shared drinks on the rooftop, Li Zenan, emboldened by alcohol, finally confessed his true feelings, saying, "I like you." The next morning, Ye Xuan and Li Zenan woke up in the same bed, only to be startled by Zhang Hongying standing at the foot of the bed. Enraged, Zhang Hongying grabbed a green onion and chased after them.
Li Zenan quickly explained that nothing had happened between him and Ye Xuan; they had both drunk too much the previous night, stumbled home together, and simply fell asleep in bed. Zhang Hongying reluctantly believed him, but warned them to know what was acceptable and what wasn't. Li Zenan suggested to Ye Xuan that she should still tell her mother about their apartment swap. Shortly after they returned home, Mao Tianyu arrived.
He clicked his tongue in disbelief upon learning Li Zenan had even changed apartments for Ye Xuan's sake, cautioning him that without a mutual confession or confirmed relationship, Ye Xuan might not actually like him, despite their closeness. Mao Tianyu then announced he had resigned and would now be working for Li Zenan. Hu Yani was astonished to hear that Ye Xuan had moved to the Aoke Marketing Department and Li Zenan had resigned.
Aoke wanted to invest in Zhejiang Jas Pouch, but Hu Yani steadfastly refused, unwilling to lose her freedom. The mention of a second branch angered her further, as she had finally discovered the landlord's identity: He Yucheng. Hu Yani immediately left Ye Xuan to confront him. Facing Hu Yani's full wrath, He Yucheng seemed a bit flustered, claiming he wanted to "bully" her back because she had always acted like an older sister, bossing him around.
Frustrated, Hu Yani pleaded with him for the property deed, as she urgently needed it to apply for a business license. He Yucheng acted coy, prompting Hu Yani to threaten to spread rumors to his cousin, claiming he had cheated her financially and emotionally before dumping her. This left He Yucheng speechless. Back at Aoke, Mr. Wu was unsurprised by Hu Yani's rejection, so he brought Ye Xuan to meet two other people: Xu Guoren and Li Zenan.
Ye Xuan was speechless at the sight. It was revealed that Li Zenan and Xu Guoren had partnered with Mr. Wu. Since Zhejiang Jas Pouch wouldn't accept Aoke's direct investment, 88 Ed would invest instead. Mr. Wu tasked them with securing Zhejiang Jas Pouch, promising 88 Ed all of Aoke's outsourcing projects for the next three years if they succeeded. Mr. Wu then left, instructing Ye Xuan to handle the liaison with Li Zenan. Xu Guoren, sensing the awkwardness, quickly excused himself, leaving Ye Xuan alone with Li Zenan.
