Party A Who Lives Beside Me Episode 5 Recap
> Party A Who Lives Beside Me Recap
Feeling dejected, Ye Xuan took a leave of absence and went to the rooftop to release her emotions, exclaiming, "It's too hard!" Li Zenan was already there with his dog, questioning why she wasn't at work and why she was hiding from her problems. Ye Xuan declared her intention to confront the situation and reclaim everything she had lost. Li Zenan agreed that shouting was useless and action was required to solve problems.
Later, Li Zenan presented Mao Tianyu with two new design proposals from 88 Ed, noting the significant stylistic differences and suspecting they were "selling dog meat under the guise of sheep." Mao Tianyu, finding it odd that only Li Xinxia was listed in 88 Ed’s team information, initially wondered if it mattered as long as the work was from 88 Ed. However, Li Zenan stressed that potential copyright disputes could damage Aoke Group's credibility.
He instructed Mao Tianyu to thoroughly investigate 88 Ed. When Mao Tianyu playfully questioned Li Zenan’s sudden interest, Li Zenan simply told him to stop asking so many questions. Driven by her desire to reclaim her lost recognition, Ye Xuan approached Xu Guoren with coffee. She praised his reputation for encouraging young talent and respecting employee rights, especially concerning project authorship. To her surprise, Li Xinxia was already in Xu Guoren's office.
Li Xinxia intercepted the conversation, implying that Ye Xuan was there to discuss early Confirmation (transfer to permanent employee status) and stated that Xu Guoren had entrusted the decision to her. Li Xinxia advised Ye Xuan to perform well and she would consider her request, effectively preventing Ye Xuan from voicing her true concerns. Meanwhile, Li Zenan, having sketched a comic of his encounters with Ye Xuan, found her looking despondent on the rooftop.
He subtly tossed a crumpled paper note in her direction. After exchanging "Good night," Ye Xuan picked up the note, which read, "Beginnings are always hard, but things will get better." The following day, Mao Tianyu visited 88 Ed for his investigation. He was visibly unimpressed by the studio's modest appearance, mistaking it for a warehouse or a wholesale market. Ye Xuan greeted him, thinking he was a salesperson or a prospective renter, and tried to usher him out.
Mao Tianyu quickly clarified his identity as the Deputy Director of Aoke Group's marketing department. He questioned Li Xinxia about the creative source of their latest design, particularly the "inheritance" theme. Li Xinxia struggled to answer, glancing at Ye Xuan for help. Ye Xuan stepped in, explaining that Li Xinxia's insight into the "Bean Shell Milk Tea" entrepreneurial story had provided inspiration. Mao Tianyu noted Ye Xuan's articulate response.
After the meeting, Mao Tianyu reported to Li Zenan that Li Xinxia was "entirely ignorant" and "faltering" when questioned, while Ye Xuan was "quite interesting." Li Zenan quickly warned him not to harbor "wrong intentions." Ye Xuan reflected on her experiences and realized that Confirmation and authorship were not her ultimate goals; she simply wanted to "work happily." Later, on the rooftop, Ye Xuan startled Li Zenan, who was exercising, and he accidentally twisted her arm.
He apologized, explaining that martial arts practitioners are wary of being approached from behind. Ye Xuan, in a good mood after receiving affirmation at work, shrugged off the incident. She then suffered a sudden nosebleed, attributing it to the stress of her "unlucky Party A" and constant overtime. Li Zenan went to fetch an ice pack for her, assuring her it was merely due to being "upset" (上火).
Ye Xuan confessed that while she used to design purely for her own enjoyment, being forced to be more diligent had broadened her perspective. She realized that "only by liking is simply not enough" and that even on a challenging path to success, "the scenery along the way is still beautiful." She thanked Li Zenan for his kindness.
The next morning, Li Xinxia called Ye Xuan, instructing her to deliver "original materials" to Aoke Group, claiming she was too busy with design work. Ye Xuan was ecstatic, believing she was finally getting involved in the Aoke project. On her way, she was so elated that she accidentally bumped into someone, scattering her documents.
After delivering the materials, which felt more like an errand, she unexpectedly met Mao Tianyu, who was puzzled as Aoke had not requested any "original materials." Realizing that neither Li Zenan nor Mao Tianyu had requested the documents, they suspected an internal issue. Later, as Ye Xuan walked home, she pressed Li Zenan about his profession, sensing his insightful nature. He cryptically responded, "Secret."
Just then, Li Zenan received a video call from Mao Tianyu, who impatiently demanded to give his report. Hearing "Director Mao" address Li Zenan, Ye Xuan was stunned, realizing that Li Zenan was her Party A. Furious that Li Zenan had known her identity as his Party B all along and had not told her, Ye Xuan decided to exact some "retaliation."
She ordered a plate of "roast spicy brain flowers," knowing Li Zenan disliked spicy food, and compelled him to eat it. Despite his visible discomfort and choking, Li Zenan ate the entire plate as an apology, his face flushed and eyes watering from the spice. The investigation into the original materials revealed that the requesting email was from a private address, whose user was unknown but had logged in from a computer within Aoke's Design Department.
Li Zenan took charge of the situation. Ye Xuan, taking leave, insisted on handling the matter herself, unwilling to involve her company in the potential trouble. At Aoke, security initially denied her entry, as she lacked an appointment and couldn't identify the specific female employee she sought. Li Zenan arrived and intervened, confirming Ye Xuan had an appointment with him. Inside, he questioned Ye Xuan's decision to come, reminding her he would handle it.
Ye Xuan reiterated her desire to resolve it personally and maintain secrecy about their connection. They proceeded to the Design Department, where they were confronted by Zhang Bowen, a director. Li Zenan introduced Ye Xuan as the 88 Ed designer competing for the "Bean Shell" project. Zhang Bowen, clearly nervous, tried to block Ye Xuan from entering and accused her of attempting to plagiarize their designs.
Ye Xuan countered that the email requesting the materials originated from an IP address within the Design Department. Zhang Bowen, to prove his innocence, gathered all his employees and challenged Ye Xuan to identify the woman she remembered. After a thorough search, Ye Xuan couldn't locate her. Li Zenan apologized to Zhang Bowen for the intrusion. Zhang Bowen, however, dismissively warned Li Zenan against bringing "messy people" to his department again.
As they left, Ye Xuan apologized to Li Zenan for causing trouble, but he reassured her that the fault lay internally with Aoke. To prevent a disaster at the upcoming bid, Ye Xuan decided to inform her 88 Ed colleagues about the stolen design. She felt they needed to rework their proposal, despite concerns about time.
In the meeting, Xu Guoren, after hearing Ye Xuan’s account, empathized with her, attributing the mishap to her youth and inexperience with such industry tactics. However, Li Xinxia aggressively demanded Ye Xuan take full responsibility, criticizing her and other young people for lacking accountability. Li Xinxia suggested Ye Xuan should simply resign. Ye Xuan, taking responsibility, promised to deliver a new proposal, and if it failed, she would resign.
Suddenly, Li Zenan arrived, asserting that the problem was internal to Aoke and not Ye Xuan’s fault. When Li Xinxia sarcastically questioned his motives, Li Zenan turned to Xu Guoren and requested to "borrow" Ye Xuan for three days, promising she would produce an even better proposal. Li Xinxia scoffed at the idea. Li Zenan then challenged Ye Xuan, asking, "Do you still want to win?"
