Party A Who Lives Beside Me Episode 9 Recap
> Party A Who Lives Beside Me Recap
Li Zenan entered Ye Xuan's apartment, looking down at He Yucheng, who could only bid Ye Xuan farewell before leaving. Li Zenan, carrying groceries, explained that his home's gas was out and he needed to borrow her kitchen. Ye Xuan generously told him to use it, saying it was "originally his" anyway. Li Zenan attempted to cook boiled meat slices, mentioning a recent client in Sichuan cuisine, but found the dish too spicy.
Ye Xuan quickly stepped in to help, boasting that Sichuan cuisine was her specialty. After they finished cooking, Ye Xuan suggested taking a photo to commemorate their first time making a dish together, and they posed closely, creating a subtly intimate moment. While they ate, Li Zenan asked Ye Xuan about the next project, proposing 88 Ed for it.
The following morning, Ye Xuan's foot had recovered, and she remarked that youth was great, but upon seeing Li Zenan, she quickly pretended it still hurt. She needed to go to the editing room to review the film but was wary of Li Zenan's opinions. He promised not to interfere, prompting Ye Xuan to agree to let him accompany her.
At the editing room, Ye Xuan and He Yucheng were diligently working when Li Zenan, breaking his promise, began offering constant, contradictory opinions, much to He Yucheng's frustration. Ye Xuan quickly reminded Li Zenan. Annoyed, He Yucheng threw up his hands and declared they should just follow Party A's wishes. Ye Xuan suggested using Ji Ruxing's song for the background music, noting that he was an endorser and it suited the video well.
He Yucheng also reminded them to be mindful of copyright. After the film was finalized, both Li Zenan and He Yucheng vied to drive Ye Xuan home. Caught in an awkward position, Ye Xuan ultimately chose Li Zenan, explaining to He Yucheng that she needed to prioritize Party A. On the drive back, Li Zenan tried to discuss the promotional video's direction, making suggestions that Ye Xuan found vague and unnecessary, leaving her speechless.
Later that evening, He Yucheng called Ye Xuan to tell her that she had gone viral. A video of her falling and Li Zenan saving her had been uploaded by a passerby and shared online, leading to widespread speculation about them as a couple. At the office, colleagues Guo Tianlei and Yan Lina openly encouraged Ye Xuan and Li Zenan to get together, but He Yucheng, clearly upset, interjected that he thought they were incompatible.
Li Xinxia then sternly reminded everyone of the industry rule forbidding romantic relationships between Party A and Party B, warning of severe consequences. Mao Tianyu also saw the viral video of Li Zenan's "hero saves the beauty" moment and jokingly asked him if he and Ye Xuan were truly dating. Li Zenan brushed him off and sent him back to work, but then he himself watched the video with a soft, affectionate smile.
The office was then visited by an elderly woman, who introduced herself as Xu Guoren’s mother and asked for her daughter-in-law, Li Xinxia, inadvertently revealing that Xu Guoren and Li Xinxia were married. The other employees were stunned, quickly making excuses to clear the room, while Ye Xuan and He Yucheng exchanged knowing glances, confirming their suspicions from seeing the couple at the hospital earlier. Xu's mother had brought chicken soup for Li Xinxia.
Xu Guoren and Li Xinxia admitted they had initially wanted to keep their relationship private, but since everyone now knew, there was no longer a need to hide it. The recently uploaded video had performed well, and everyone was preparing to celebrate when a legal letter arrived. They were being sued for copyright infringement by Ji Ruxing's company because his music was used in the video without a license.
Ye Xuan recalled that the sample she showed Li Xinxia was un-soundtracked. She explained that she had suggested Ji Ruxing's music and mentioned the copyright issue to Li Xinxia at the time, assuming Li Xinxia had handled it because she seemed satisfied with the music choice. While Ye Xuan acknowledged her own significant responsibility as project lead, she also noted that Li Xinxia was the final approver.
He Yucheng stepped in to defend Ye Xuan, stating that the immediate priority was to resolve the issue, not assign blame. Guo Feng called Xu Guoren and Ye Xuan to a meeting, informing them the video had been taken down due to the copyright issue. Ye Xuan asked for more time to secure the music rights, despite Guo Feng's warning that Ji Ruxing's agency was notoriously difficult to deal with, and Ji Ruxing himself had a strange personality.
Ye Xuan confidently guaranteed she would obtain the rights, and Guo Feng gave them three days, after which they would proceed according to the contract. However, as soon as Ye Xuan and Xu Guoren left, Guo Feng instructed Li Zenan to begin drafting a compensation agreement, reminding him to remember his identity as Party A. Meanwhile, Yan Lina, searching for a contract, discovered something in Li Xinxia's drawer, realizing Li Xinxia was pregnant.
She quickly took over Li Xinxia's physically demanding tasks, like changing water bottles, and advised her to drink her mother-in-law's chicken soup. Separately, Li Zenan consulted a lawyer, who confirmed that the only solution was to negotiate directly with the opposing party. Hu Yani invited a despondent Ye Xuan to dinner, encouraging her to eat well regardless of the challenges, explaining that "eating well means you can continue to fight."
Coincidentally, Li Xinxia and her mother-in-law were at the same restaurant. Ye Xuan overheard Li Xinxia’s mother-in-law mentioning that Li Xinxia shouldn’t be picky with food for the sake of the baby, revealing the pregnancy to Ye Xuan, who was visibly shocked. After an awkward glance between the two groups, Hu Yani, noticing Li Xinxia's strong sense of self-esteem, prevented Ye Xuan from approaching her.
Feeling down about the day's events, He Yucheng took Ye Xuan to the rooftop to clear her head. There, Ye Xuan expressed her sadness and vulnerability, lamenting that despite being in a big city, she didn't even own a small house. Later, on a phone call with her mother, Ye Xuan put on a brave face, assuring her that she was doing well, had taken on a big project, and was respected at work.
Li Zenan overheard this call and teased her about eating steak. Privately, Ye Xuan admitted to Li Zenan that she felt unsure about resolving the Ji Ruxing issue, and Li Zenan regretfully stated that Aoke's existing partnership with Ji Ruxing prevented him from directly assisting them, meaning she had to handle it herself. However, he did help by finding Ji Ruxing’s current itinerary.
Ye Xuan quickly informed Li Xinxia that she was going to Duxi Hotel on Yajing Road, where Ji Ruxing was currently being interviewed with his agent. Li Xinxia, sensing Ye Xuan's anxiety, handed her some marshmallows, explaining they help with nervousness and offering encouragement. At the Duxi Hotel, Ye Xuan found herself blocked by security and a crowd of fans. She called Li Zenan, telling him she couldn't get in and planned to wait outside indefinitely.
Li Zenan told her to wait in the lobby and he would come. Just as he was about to leave, Li Zenan heard He Yucheng's name mentioned on the phone, suggesting He Yucheng was also at the hotel.
