Today's cake message card read:
Congratulations on your marriage, may you bathe in the sea of love forever.
You've been waiting for this day for over two thousand days. Congratulations, your dream has come true. And congratulations to me too, for gaining another family member.
Life is long. May we remain as innocent as children, and may you two be as inseparable as glue and lacquer.
— Best wishes from Song Xintan
Fang Yu was moved after reading the card: "What an incredible childhood friend! I wish I had one too."
Other colleagues were helping to unwrap gifts. They turned to Fang Yu and called out, "What does it say? Let us see."
"Nothing much, same as last time—wishing Dr. Xu happiness every day. I was just saying I wish I had a childhood friend who surprises me from time to time." Fang Yu brushed it off and changed the subject, "What's that you're unwrapping?"
"Not sure. It's wrapped in several layers. I'll leave the innermost layer for Dr. Xu to open herself."
Fang Yu took the opportunity to slip the card to Xu Qinghe: "A crystal swan cake every other day—that's true love."
Xu Qinghe was also a bit puzzled. Why another one?
Today's cake was a different style from the day before yesterday's, but both were sea salt cheese flavor.
After unwrapping all the gifts and taking photos, she messaged Song Xintan: [Received the gifts and the cake. Sending a heart.]
Then she asked with concern: [Is your head still hurting?]
Song Xintan replied quickly: [Comes and goes. I've arranged with Shi Wenli to continue counseling tonight.]
Xu Qinghe: "..."
Song Xintan: [If you don't like the gifts, you can exchange them at the store. Just contact Secretary Zhang.]
Xu Qinghe: [No need to exchange. I'm especially, very, extremely satisfied!]
She emphasized again: [Make sure to thank Secretary Zhang for me. He chose the gifts so thoughtfully. I love both cake designs too.]
When Song Xintan saw "both cake designs," he didn't think much of it. He assumed Secretary Zhang had specially ordered two cakes as a sign of double happiness.
From selecting the gifts to sending them, he had only written the message card; Secretary Zhang had handled everything else. Secretary Zhang's taste was better than his.
He casually screenshotted the chat and forwarded it to Secretary Zhang: [Qinghe asked me to convey her thanks.]
Secretary Zhang replied immediately: [Mr. Song, is there a mistake? I only ordered one cake.]
Song Xintan: [?]
Secretary Zhang: [Maybe someone else sent a cake today without signing their name, and they were delivered together. Did Dr. Xu mistakenly think both were from you?]
Song Xintan pressed: [You didn't send one the day before yesterday?]
Secretary Zhang was certain: [No.]
Song Xintan immediately switched back to Xu Qinghe's chat: [The cake from the day before yesterday wasn't from me. There's been a mix-up. Ask around who sent it.]
Xu Qinghe was just editing her Moments post with the same caption as before: [A blessing from my childhood friend.]
Shi Wenli was the first to like it.
Someone immediately teased in the comments: [Chief Shi, since getting a partner, you've been browsing faster than before (snicker).]
Shi Wenli had intended to message Xu Qinghe, but he happened to open Moments and caught her new post.
However, his colleague wasn't wrong. Before, he might not open Moments for a day or two, but now he habitually checked a couple of times a day.
If she posted something, he would give it a like.
Seeing the crystal swan cake, Shi Wenli finally found the answer to what had puzzled him for two days.
Song Xintan had indeed ordered a cake, but it only arrived today.
The other person had even gotten the cake design wrong, which meant he probably hadn't ordered it himself—more likely his secretary did.
During the evening psychological counseling session, he would subtly ask Song Xintan about it.
The cake mix-up made Xu Qinghe feel uneasy.
Even if Song Xintan sent her a crystal swan cake every day, she wouldn't feel any psychological burden. But if it was from another admirer, the misunderstanding would be serious.
Fang Yu, standing beside her, nudged her: "What's wrong? You look serious."
Xu Qinghe: "The cake from the day before yesterday wasn't from Song Xintan."
"Huh? Didn't you dedicate a whole Moments post to that cake? Has no one come forward to clarify or claim it?"
Xu Qinghe shook her head.
She calmed down. If it were from an admirer, they wouldn't leave no information—they'd at least let her know who it was.
Suddenly, she thought of someone.
[Hubby, the swan cake from the day before yesterday was from you, right?]
Shi Wenli: [Mm, it was me.]
Xu Qinghe was delighted and guilty: [Why didn't you say so earlier?]
Shi Wenli: [Song Xintan was so sure it was from him at the time, and I wasn't sure where the mix-up happened. Given his current mental state, there was no need to fuss over it.]