Party A Who Lives Beside Me Episode 18 Recap
> Party A Who Lives Beside Me Recap
Ye Xuan confronted Li Zenan about his surprising acquaintance with Wu Kai and his new role as 88 Ed’s design director. Li Zenan explained that he and Wu Kai had worked together previously and that he had applied to 88 Ed to pursue design. Xu Guoren, who had been actively recruiting, readily accepted him. Li Zenan and Xu Guoren reviewed 88 Ed’s recent projects and decided to continue their partnership with Aoke.
Li Zenan informed Wu Kai that Aoke alone couldn't sway Hu Yani, suggesting that Ye Xuan's involvement in the Zhejiang Jas Pouch project was merely a formality. Ye Xuan reacted with annoyance, calling them "old slickers." Li Zenan then revealed his agreement with Wu Kai: if he could convince Hu Yani, 88 Ed would secure the advertising for Zhejiang Jas Pouch.
He clarified that he joined 88 Ed because he wanted to focus on design and needed a highly cooperative team, believing he could elevate the company, even if it might not offer further growth for Ye Xuan. Li Zenan asserted they had many dreams to pursue, leaving no room for indecision. However, Ye Xuan’s anxiety boiled over, and she confessed her worries for him. The journey home was quiet.
After exiting the elevator, Li Zenan finally broke the silence, expressing his desire to speak with Ye Xuan. Ye Xuan, flustered, tried to dismiss their conversation from the previous night, claiming she didn't remember it. Li Zenan, however, insisted he was "very, very serious" about the question he had asked. Unable to give an answer, Ye Xuan stammered and rushed back to her apartment. Both spent the night waiting for the other to make a move.
Ye Xuan, distressed, consulted her friend Yan Lina, who prompted her to acknowledge her feelings. Realizing her heart wouldn't lie, Ye Xuan admitted she liked Li Zenan and wanted to be with him. Simultaneously, Mao Tianyu advised Li Zenan to be more gentle and patient, suggesting he invite Ye Xuan out.
Both opened their phones to text, but to Ye Xuan’s utter dismay, Li Zenan, seemingly oblivious to the romantic tension, messaged her about coordinating Zhejiang Jas Pouch's follow-up work the next day. The following morning, Ye Xuan made breakfast, delighting her mother who felt her daughter had matured. Ye Xuan then confessed the truth about living in Li Zenan’s apartment. Her mother, as Li Zenan had predicted, revealed she had already guessed, having known Ye Xuan since childhood.
She forgave Ye Xuan but urged her to be honest about future matters. In the hallway, Li Zenan offered Ye Xuan a ride, which she declined, preferring to take the subway. He then deliberately joined her in the elevator. Inside, Ye Xuan received a message from her mother, who, as an experienced observer, had sensed the awkwardness and correctly inferred that Li Zenan had confessed his feelings. Mortified, Ye Xuan quickly exited the elevator and hurried away.
That day, Ye Xuan officially started at Aoke Group. However, her first day was chaotic; she found no workstation and was immediately dispatched by Wu Kai to "handle Hu Yani," embarking on a long chase in high heels. At 88 Ed, Xu Guoren was organizing a grand welcome for a new colleague, praising the incoming individual. He kept the new hire’s identity a secret, even as his staff speculated.
Li Zenan called Xu Guoren, explaining he would be meeting with Hu Yani that morning and wouldn’t come to the office, requesting that his arrival be kept low-key. Xu Guoren promptly ordered the celebratory banner to be taken down. Meanwhile, Ye Xuan, who had anticipated Wu Kai's tough approach, confidently told Li Zenan that she had watched all the Hollywood workplace movies in preparation for Wu Kai's "duel."
Li Zenan warned her that many under Wu Kai, despite initial "naive fantasies," either ended up fired or quit, but Ye Xuan remained undeterred, declaring she would see it through, even if it meant "dying with him." Li Zenan then showed her the contract for Aoke’s investment in Zhejiang Jas Pouch, which he said contained the "most favorable conditions" he'd negotiated with Wu Kai after three hours, representing Aoke’s final concession.
Ye Xuan expressed a concern about one particular clause but affirmed her trust in "the most terrible Director Li." He Yucheng had tricked Hu Yani into meeting his mother instead of his cousin, announcing their imminent marriage, which nearly made Hu Yani choke. Afterwards, on the street, Hu Yani pursued He Yucheng, demanding the property deed. She sternly told him that meeting his mother was her bottom line and she wouldn't agree to anything else.
Their playful struggle for the deed led to them falling into a close, intimate embrace. They then arrived at Zhejiang Jas Pouch, surprised to find Ye Xuan and Li Zenan already there. The four sat together in an awkward silence, with Ye Xuan and Li Zenan quickly sensing the unusual dynamic between Hu Yani and He Yucheng. Hu Yani clarified that they were merely landlord and tenant.
Li Zenan was shocked to discover that He Yucheng owned all the properties in that commercial area, revealing his identity as a "relocated household" who worked at 88 Ed simply because he enjoyed "doing things." Ye Xuan and Li Zenan excitedly gossiped about the "demolition second generation" and the "female boss" before shifting to business discussions. Li Zenan offered to meet all of Hu Yani's conditions for Aoke's investment in Zhejiang Jas Pouch.
He reflected on their past, including their breakup five years prior, and admitted that his decision to join the marketing department wasn't solely for her. Hu Yani, however, was not eager to sign the contract. She explained that she had changed from her previous profit-driven self, recognizing the importance of camaraderie. She preferred slow, independent growth for Zhejiang Jas Pouch rather than losing control.
She declared that she would only agree if Aoke guaranteed "non-interference" in all of Zhejiang Jas Pouch’s operational activities. Li Zenan, understanding Wu Kai would "never agree" to such a term, knew his efforts were in vain. He Yucheng then inquired about Ye Xuan and Li Zenan’s relationship progress. Ye Xuan felt embarrassed, believing she couldn't offer Li Zenan any practical help.
He Yucheng reassured her that genuine affection is pure and unconditional, and her desire to help was a natural expression of her feelings, not a responsibility. As Li Zenan dejectedly left the meeting, He Yucheng prompted Ye Xuan to follow him. In the car, Li Zenan received a call from a real estate agent about selling his house. He explained to Ye Xuan that as a partner in 88 Ed, he needed to invest capital.
Ye Xuan grew alarmed, realizing that Hu Yani’s refusal would cost 88 Ed its cooperation with Aoke and jeopardize Li Zenan's hard-earned success. She suggested talking to Wu Kai again, but Li Zenan stubbornly insisted that further discussions would be futile and told her to stop interfering. Annoyed, Ye Xuan exited the car, declaring that he shouldn’t meddle in her affairs either. Ye Xuan suspected there was a history between Li Zenan and Wu Kai.
She approached Mao Tianyu, who confirmed her intuition. Mao Tianyu revealed that when Li Zenan first joined Aoke Group, he took the fall for Director Zhou Feng's mistake on a project. Wu Kai, known for his volatile temper, had insisted on escalating the issue, causing Li Zenan's promotion to be delayed by two years. This incident was the origin of their long-standing animosity.
Mao Tianyu expressed his belief that they were "heroes who cherished each other" and should have resolved their differences long ago. Ye Xuan acknowledged that this explained the strange dynamic she had observed between them.
