Chapter 10: Checkmate at Dawn

The penthouse sheets smelled of bergamot and betrayal. I woke to Shangguan's Yale diploma glaring from the wall, its Latin motto mocking my disheveled state. 6:03AM glowed crimson on the Bulgari clock — three hours until corporate warfare resumed. 

His briefcase sat pre-packed by the elevator. A Post-it stuck to the handle: *Air China CA925, 23:50. Bring the azure dress.* 

The office became our chessboard. 

"大连港." Shangguan slid the customs file across my desk, his Mandarin flawless. "Three containers of Scottish whisky frozen in bureaucratic limbo." 

I traced the shipment codes. "You want me to sweet-talk Communist officials?" 

"Your parents still run the seafood export company near Xinghai Square, no?" His pen tapped the emergency contact form I'd forged. "This requires... local expertise." 

The intercom buzzed with Erena's shattered voice. "Ms. Lin, Mr. Ryōsuke is—" 

"Occupied." Shangguan killed the line, his reflection warping in the window. "Pack light. We depart post-tribunal." 

**Nishizawa Divorce Hearing (14:30)** 

- Exhibit A: Golf club receipts from hostess bar 

- Exhibit B: Kindergarten fees paid to "assistant" 

- Exhibit C: My handwritten notes on custody laws 

The gavel fell at 16:47. As Nishizawa sobbed over lost Porsche rights, my phone lit with Ryōsuke's final message: *They're transferring me to Osaka. Last train leaves in 90.* 

Haneda's departure gates smelled of burnt coffee and desperation. Shangguan's fingers brushed mine at security, his boarding pass tucked behind mine like a love letter. 

"Business or pleasure?" The customs officer eyed our matching Rimowa suitcases. 

"Due diligence." Shangguan's Rolex flashed as he handed over the marriage fraud dossier. 

The Airbus A380 swallowed us whole. As Tokyo's skyline dissolved, he produced two whiskey miniatures and a tattered copy of my college thesis. 

"Page 42," he murmured, highlighting my analysis of Sino-Japanese trade loopholes. "Brilliant, if naive." 

The cabin lights dimmed. Somewhere over the Yellow Sea, his head dipped onto my shoulder — warm breath fogging the window where our reflections merged. 

**WeChat Transcript (05:13 JST)** 

亮介: 你会后悔的 

Yu: 已经在地狱了 

亮介: 他买了教堂 

Yu: ? 

亮介: 问你的婚纱尺寸 

The wheels touched down in drizzle. Through the rain-streaked window, my childhood bedroom light glowed like a forgotten pawn. Shangguan's hand found the small of my back as customs declared our luggage "suspicious." 

In this game of transnational hearts, even checkmate came with diplomatic immunity.