Party A Who Lives Beside Me Episode 2 Recap
> Party A Who Lives Beside Me Recap
Ye Xuan was on the phone with her university friend, discussing work in Shanghai as she enjoyed a bowl of the boiled fish she had made. She mentioned her new project, a brochure for a large food company, and her friend praised her for securing such a significant client so early in her career. Her friend also shared that she was designing special clothing for a luxury brand.
Meanwhile, Li Zenan, who had accidentally received Ye Xuan's package in the previous episode, was conflicted. He carefully placed the items back into the parcel and practiced how he would return it to her. After some thought, he changed into dark clothes, making him look even more suspicious. Peeking through her peephole, Ye Xuan saw him lurking outside her door and, convinced he was up to no good, opened the door to confront him.
Li Zenan awkwardly thrust the package at her. Ye Xuan, insisting she hadn’t ordered anything, tried to refuse it, but as they grappled, the lingerie inside accidentally spilled out. Her impression of Li Zenan worsened considerably; she furiously accused him of being a pervert and a creep, threatening to call the police. Although they argued fiercely about going to the police station, they ultimately didn't, with Li Zenan stating he was too tired.
Ye Xuan, still fuming, warned Li Zenan to stay away. Later, as she vented to her friend on the phone about the "pervert" next door and the "flower underwear," she was surprised to learn that the lingerie was actually a housewarming gift from her friend. Despite the misunderstanding being clarified, both Ye Xuan and Li Zenan concluded that the other was nothing but trouble.
The next day, after Ye Xuan had submitted a new design draft, Boss Zhang remained unsatisfied, saying, "No, not good, not satisfied. Redo." Feeling frustrated, Ye Xuan fantasized about being a Chief, much like Li Xinxia, delegating all work to interns. Suddenly, a strange noise came from outside her door. Taking an umbrella, she cautiously stepped out to investigate, but a gust of wind slammed her door shut, locking her out.
Without her keys, Ye Xuan had no choice but to ask Li Zenan for help. She explained her predicament, proposing to climb from his balcony to hers, and offered an apology for their previous misunderstanding. Li Zenan led her to his balcony, seemingly amused by her plan. To his surprise, Ye Xuan, with remarkable agility, quickly scaled the railing and made it across before he could even react.
Only then did Li Zenan casually reveal that he actually had a spare key to her apartment. Ye Xuan, believing he had been prying open her door earlier with the key he claimed to have, angrily accused him of being a thief and began hitting him. Li Zenan quickly clarified that he was her landlord.
After he handed over the spare key, they agreed to avoid each other except for rent payments, each still viewing the other as a significant nuisance. At the office, Ye Xuan presented a stack of designs to Li Xinxia, who barely glanced at them before scolding her. Li Xinxia admonished her not to submit designs she wasn't confident in, as it wasted everyone's time.
She then told Ye Xuan to smile and look pleasant when Boss Zhang arrived so it wouldn't appear that she (Li Xinxia) had been bullying her. Soon after, Boss Zhang arrived, carrying a pot of boiled fish for the Design Department. Ye Xuan greeted him with a polite smile, but Boss Zhang immediately criticized her drawing skills, telling her she didn't know how to paint an advertisement.
He insisted that she needed to understand his boiled fish to create a compelling ad that would make people "drool and want to eat." He made her consume a large, spicy portion of his famous fish. Just as Ye Xuan was struggling through the meal, her mother called, expressing concern that Ye Xuan, being young and inexperienced, might be getting bullied in Shanghai.
Ye Xuan, however, quickly reassured her mother that she was doing well and that her colleagues and even her landlord were very kind to her, urging her not to worry. After the call, He Yucheng approached, offering to help her finalize the boiled fish project, but only if she agreed to go on a blind date with him.
As part of their "blind date," He Yucheng then took a series of photos of Ye Xuan, explaining it would save the company model fees, which were only 200 yuan. He then disclosed the crucial detail that Li Xinxia's favorite drink was the limited-edition Bean Shell Pudding from Bean Shell Milk Tea, which sold out daily and the store closed promptly at 5:30 PM. He noted it was already 5:00 PM, urging her to hurry.
Meanwhile, in another department, Zhang Bowen confronted Li Zenan, accusing him of overstepping by involving an outside design company, 88 Ed, in their projects. Li Zenan calmly explained that the market department sought diverse creative ideas for the project's benefit. He subtly pointed out that the chief designer position in Zhang Bowen's department had been vacant for three months, implying dissatisfaction with their current talent.
He also mentioned that a previous design had upset artist Ji Ruxing, justifying their decision to seek outside collaboration. Zhang Bowen angrily interpreted this as the Market Department actively undermining his Design Department by forcing them to compete with 88 Ed. An older colleague tried to intervene, but Zhang Bowen stormed off, dismissing an offer of tea.
After Zhang Bowen left, Mao Tianyu expressed his hope that the Design Department would lose to 88 Ed, calling Li Zenan a "business genius" for his strategy. Li Zenan revealed his backup plan: if 88 Ed lost, they would publicly announce that Aoke Group had initiated a fierce, three-round competition among multiple designers for Bean Shell Milk Tea's fifth-anniversary project, and Aoke's own Design Department emerged victorious, ultimately benefiting the group's image.
Li Zenan then took Mao Tianyu on a patrol of a Bean Shell Milk Tea store. While there, Li Zenan sent Mao Tianyu to a second store, instructing him to note any issues, implying that he himself had spotted something. As he left, Ye Xuan rushed into the store, purchasing a red bean milk tea and, crucially, the last Bean Shell Pudding. Elated, she prepared to return to the office, hoping to appease Li Xinxia.
However, Li Zenan, engrossed in his phone, bumped into her, causing the precious Bean Shell Pudding to spill onto the ground. Ye Xuan, furious, demanded he compensate her, explaining it was the last one. Li Zenan, initially defensive, eventually agreed to pay, but with no more puddings available, he called Mao Tianyu, who still had one, and took it for Ye Xuan.
Ye Xuan, in the nick of time, successfully delivered the Bean Shell Pudding to Li Xinxia before the office closed. Later that evening, as He Yucheng walked Ye Xuan home, he noticed suspicious "thief marks" on her door, indicating that thieves were "ready for action soon." He also spotted a similar mark on Li Zenan's door, which, according to online information, meant "this family is not easy to mess with, stay away."
Ye Xuan was horrified, lamenting that she was "poor as hell" and that thieves should target Li Zenan's apartment instead. He Yucheng tried to lighten the mood by jokingly suggesting the thieves might even "send her warmth" given her poverty. Panicked by the thief markings, Ye Xuan immediately messaged Li Zenan photos of both doors and a picture of herself holding a new heavy-duty lock, then called him.
Ye Xuan, asking for "activity funds," initially requested 400 yuan, but Li Zenan, hearing her distressed tone and seeing the lock photo, mistakenly believed she was being held for ransom. He frantically asked her location and if she was okay, quickly transferring a generous 1000 yuan to her before rushing home. At Ye Xuan's apartment, He Yucheng was helping her replace the aging lock cylinder. They heard a noise from Li Zenan’s apartment.
As Li Zenan sped home, he also heard strange sounds from Ye Xuan's apartment. Believing she was in danger, he grabbed what he considered a "weapon"—a heavy chain with a lock—which Ye Xuan had just purchased and which the hardware store owner claimed would require a 'Dragon Slaying Saber' to break. He climbed from his balcony to hers and burst through the door, yelling, "Don't move!" Both men, mistaking each other for thieves, immediately engaged in a furious fight.
Just then, Ye Xuan arrived home to witness the chaotic scene. Without clearly seeing who was who, she picked up her newly purchased, heavy lock and swung it, accidentally striking Li Zenan squarely on the forehead. Bleeding and defeated, Li Zenan simply told them he wanted to rest and asked them to close the door and turn off the lights when they left. Embarrassed, Ye Xuan walked He Yucheng downstairs.
As they were leaving, they heard a group of elderly residents shouting, "Catch the thief!" He Yucheng, invigorated, declared it the "first exciting thing" in his life (after their earlier scuffle with Li Zenan, which he had called the "second most exciting"), and both of them joined the chase. The thief attempted to fight back, but Ye Xuan, revealing her martial arts training, swiftly apprehended him.
The grateful elderly residents thanked her, and Ye Xuan proudly introduced herself as "Ye Xuan from 88 Ed, a designer." Upon returning home, Ye Xuan found a bandaged Li Zenan standing outside her door, insisting she let him in. Hesitantly, Ye Xuan apologized for hitting him and offered to take him to the hospital, but he pushed past her. To her surprise, Li Zenan went straight to her balcony and efficiently installed the new lock, preventing further unauthorized entry.
He commented, "I'm afraid some people will turn over my balcony again," jokingly adding that he might raise his own balcony to keep out "stray cats and dogs." As his stomach rumbled, Ye Xuan, feeling grateful, made him instant noodles, preparing them with elaborate "ritualistic" care. She thanked him for his help. Li Zenan, ever so proud, simply stated it was "all written in the contract, just a small favor."
Their peace was short-lived, however, as Li Xinxia messaged Ye Xuan, demanding her design draft immediately, threatening her job if it wasn't submitted that day. Panicked, Ye Xuan exclaimed, "The grim reaper of deadlines is here! I have to work!" She quickly apologized to Li Zenan, pushing him out of her apartment with the pot of half-eaten noodles, telling him to finish them at his place. He left, looking bewildered.
