Party A Who Lives Beside Me Episode 6 Recap
> Party A Who Lives Beside Me Recap
Li Zenan took Ye Xuan to Aoke Group's tea production area, where they were warmly greeted by Uncle Liu. He mistakenly thought they were a couple, prompting Ye Xuan to clarify that their relationship was purely professional, as Party A and Party B. Li Zenan explained that he frequently visited Uncle Liu, whom he deeply admired for rejecting industrialization and insisting on traditional handmade tea production, dedicating his life to perfecting one craft.
He revealed that Bean Shell Milk Tea gained its reputation from the quality of its tea, not the milk. This insight provided Ye Xuan with the crucial brand origin she had been searching for. Feeling inspired, Ye Xuan later told Li Zenan that her new goal was to hear him personally say "continue to push forward" to her one day, a term more meaningful than "design adopted" for a designer, as it signifies the possibility of execution.
Despite his significant help, Li Zenan downplayed his actions, claiming he was only assisting himself to keep Zhang Bowen quiet for a while if she won, which Ye Xuan recognized and was amused by his two-faced nature. The next day, Li Zenan and Ye Xuan arrived in Shanghai for the competitive presentation. A bus breakdown and a dead phone caused their slight delay, but Ye Xuan had managed to revise her proposal.
In the meeting room, Zhang Bowen immediately launched into sarcastic remarks upon their arrival. Remaining composed, Ye Xuan prepared for her turn as Zhang Bowen presented his team's design. His proposal focused on a "national style" theme for the anniversary celebration, integrating it into the UI and creating a retro national costume for spokesperson Ji Ruxing, along with a "national wind filter" for beauty applications.
He argued this approach would counter the "cultural shortcomings" of a fast-moving consumer brand and enhance consumer connection. Ye Xuan then presented her own "Chinese style" design, emphasizing a different interpretation of the concept. She critiqued generic Chinese-style designs that merely leveraged nostalgia without offering unique brand characteristics.
To develop her proposal, she had visited the tea garden that supplied Bean Shell Milk Tea, where she met Uncle Liu and learned about tea picking and making, finding a deep sense of inner peace. Her innovative idea was to have Ji Ruxing personally experience the tea garden, make milk tea, and document the process in a series of short videos.
This approach, she explained, would highlight the brand's unique identity and infuse each cup of milk tea with "love and stories." Mr. Wang, Aoke's general manager, found Ye Xuan's proposal quite interesting. At this point, Zhang Bowen interrupted, accusing Li Zenan and Ye Xuan of having an "improper relationship" and insinuating that Li Zenan was receiving kickbacks from Party B. He cited Li Zenan's recent "vacation" with Ye Xuan as proof.
Li Zenan confirmed that he had indeed gone with Ye Xuan. Ye Xuan swiftly confronted Zhang Bowen, acknowledging her acquaintance with Li Zenan but strongly denying any improper relationship. She clarified that she had repeatedly requested Li Zenan to take her to the tea garden to gain a deeper understanding of the brand culture, viewing the trip as an "investigation." She then challenged Zhang Bowen, asking if he knew the specific fermentation and baking methods required for the tea.
When he dismissed these as irrelevant to a designer, Ye Xuan sharply retorted that his understanding of the brand was inferior to that of the tea farmers themselves. Mr. Wang intervened, stopping Zhang Bowen from further irrelevant comments. After considering both presentations, Mr. Wang chose 88 Ed, telling them to "continue to push forward" with their proposal. As the meeting concluded, Li Zenan made an "unsolicited request" to Mr. Xu, asking to "borrow" Ye Xuan again.
Mr. Xu generously agreed, saying he would even "give her away," and told Ye Xuan she wasn't needed back at the office immediately. Li Zenan then asked Ye Xuan how she planned to thank him for his help, requesting a treat of Spicy Roast Pork Brain. They went to Zhejiang Jas Pouch, a restaurant Li Zenan clearly held in high regard.
There, they encountered Hu Yani, the owner of Zhejiang Jas Pouch and an old acquaintance of Li Zenan, which created an immediate awkward tension. Sensing the discomfort, Ye Xuan tried to politely dismiss Hu Yani, who then extended a handshake, stating that the restaurant held "too many beautiful memories" for her and Li Zenan before leaving. Li Zenan, visibly upset, quickly pulled Ye Xuan away from the restaurant.
Ye Xuan struggled to find a taxi, and Li Zenan had to repeatedly call her to get her into his car. In the car, Ye Xuan pressed him about the awkward departure from Zhejiang Jas Pouch, noticing his nervousness by his habit of turning his watch. She playfully complained about not finishing her meal and began to gossip about Hu Yani.
When Li Zenan vaguely referred to Hu Yani as an "old friend," Ye Xuan quickly deduced she was his ex-girlfriend. She teased him, describing Hu Yani as "white skin, beautiful and long legs" and confidently speculating that Li Zenan must have been dumped, before laughing and running out of the car, leaving her lunchbox behind. Moments later, in the parking lot, Li Zenan encountered Hu Yani again.
She informed him she was there to discuss marketing for Zhejiang Jas Pouch with Zhou Feng. Li Zenan declined to take on her project due to his current workload and suggested Zhou Feng refer her to other project teams. Hu Yani coldly remarked that he had "changed a lot" since their breakup, becoming "less refined" and having his "taste changed," casting a disparaging glance at the lunchbox in his hand.
She then stated she would simply find someone else who was willing to work with her. Ye Xuan, seeing Li Zenan's lingering discomfort, offered him her lunch and decided to eat with her colleagues. Back at 88 Ed, following the successful signing of the Bean Shell Milk Tea contract, Mr. Xu decided to promote Ye Xuan to full employment ahead of schedule.
As her colleagues celebrated with pizza, Li Xinxia stormed in, scolding everyone for celebrating before the project was fully executed and paid. She then confronted Mr. Xu in his office, strongly disagreeing with Ye Xuan's early confirmation, arguing it violated company rules and set a bad precedent. Mr. Xu defended his decision, highlighting Ye Xuan's excellent work on the proposal and the client's satisfaction, citing it as a creative company where talent should be recognized.
Li Xinxia became furious, slamming the table and declaring that Ye Xuan would not be confirmed as long as she was there. Meanwhile, outside the office, colleagues commented on the loud argument, noting that it was a common occurrence between company elders Mr. Xu and Chief Li, who sounded like a quarreling couple. At that moment, Hu Yani arrived at 88 Ed to discuss a new project for Zhejiang Jas Pouch.
Colleagues were impressed, recognizing her as the founder of the prominent restaurant chain. Mr. Xu welcomed Hu Yani. During their discussion, Hu Yani specifically requested Ye Xuan to lead the marketing project for Zhejiang Jas Pouch. Mr. Xu, delighted by Ye Xuan's ability to attract two major clients in a month, informed her that she would lead the Zhejiang Jas Pouch project, emphasizing its importance for future catering clients.
To ensure her full focus, he directed her to temporarily withdraw from the Bean Shell Milk Tea project, which would be handed over to Li Xinxia, and for Lina to handle the liaison with Li Zenan for the time being. Ye Xuan expressed her commitment to the Zhejiang Jas Pouch project. Separately, Zhou Feng commended Li Zenan for the outstanding Bean Shell Milk Tea project and announced his intention to propose a promotion for Li Zenan at the quarterly meeting.
Li Zenan, while grateful, expressed his desire for more collaboration with 88 Ed and his concern for Zhang Bowen after the design department's recent setback. Zhou Feng then revealed that Zhang Bowen had been fired from Aoke Group due to severe plagiarism that significantly damaged the company, and that he himself would now oversee the design department. Li Zenan was surprised by the severity of the decision, noting Zhang Bowen's past contributions to Aoke.
However, Zhou Feng, reminding Li Zenan that he was his apprentice, firmly stated that he would always protect him within Aoke. Later, Li Zenan received a chilling text message from Zhang Bowen, saying, "My present is your future. Take care of yourself." This message triggered a flashback for Li Zenan, recalling a past conversation where Zhou Feng had vowed to expel Zhang Bowen from Aoke within two years, using the exact phrase "My present is your future."
Disturbed by these events, Li Zenan instructed his colleague to identify any design department staff who wished to leave following Zhang Bowen's departure and direct them to him. Meanwhile, He Yucheng invited Ye Xuan to a department dinner, but she declined, explaining that Hu Yani had invited her to an archery hall to discuss the Zhejiang Jas Pouch proposal. Ye Xuan expressed apprehension about not knowing how to shoot and feared saying the wrong thing.
He Yucheng advised her to simply "praise and flatter" Hu Yani to keep her happy. At the archery hall, Hu Yani insisted Ye Xuan call her "Sister Yani." Instead of discussing the proposal immediately, Hu Yani began to ask Ye Xuan about her relationship with Li Zenan, inquiring how long they had known each other and what Ye Xuan thought of him.
