Dimensional Hotel-Chapter 248: Snowstorm Across the Border

The bonfire celebration lasted long into the night. Yu Sheng even thought that if it weren’t for the limits of a child’s boundless energy, Little Red Riding Hood and her younger brothers and sisters might happily continue their revelry for three days straight without rest.

After all, the night sky crafted personally by “Brother Yu Sheng” could stretch on forever.

But no matter how joyous, every moment of happiness must eventually end. As the bonfire dimmed, the exhausted little Cursed Children were picked up, yawning and nodding off, and carried back to their rooms. Some had even fallen asleep curled in corners or on grassy roadsides, only to be discovered by the Night Watchmen summoned by King and gently placed into their beds. The older children, aged thirteen or fourteen, struggled to stay awake to help the adults clean up, but Teacher Su shooed them off sternly, saying something about “growing bodies needing sleep.”

The Long-Haired Girl Princess, having finished her fireworks, still brimmed with excitement. She approached Yu Sheng and Little Red Riding Hood eagerly, discussing possible excuses to hold more celebrations. However, her secret stash of explosives had already alarmed Little Red Riding Hood deeply. The latter demanded repeatedly to know where she’d gotten so many fireworks and where exactly she had hidden them, but the Princess remained tight-lipped.

Bai Li Qing left earlier, before the festivities had even ended—not because of discomfort with the lively atmosphere or because of any awkward silence. Rather, her position demanded meticulous management of her every day, every hour, even every minute. Taking two full hours off to simply enjoy fireworks and barbecue with a group of carefree children was already a rare luxury in her tightly packed schedule.

After the gathering, Squirrel and Hunter returned to the Black Forest.

Yu Sheng had actually hoped they’d just stay in “Town.” Everyone here would gladly welcome these two new neighbors from the Forest. But Squirrel and Hunter insisted on returning.

They had become accustomed to life in the Black Forest. Squirrel explained she needed the scent of soil mingled with fallen leaves to fall asleep, and needed to wander around searching for acorns each day to feel at ease. She loved the whispering of the wind through the leaves and the patterns sunlight drew as it filtered through the canopy. Without these comforts, she’d feel restless.

Hunter had an even deeper bond with the Black Forest. He intended to return to carefully tend to the little house deep within the forest—the one filled with hanging red cloaks.

He and Squirrel now lived in that small dwelling. Together, they planned to renovate it thoroughly so it could someday become a resting spot for Cursed Children exploring the forest. Those red cloaks would be gathered and eventually sent to “Town,” to be preserved in the new memorial hall at the Orphanage.

However, they promised they’d frequently visit “Town,” like friends who’d moved houses but hadn’t moved too far, reliably appearing every weekend at the doorstep.

Yu Sheng thought this arrangement was perfect. As long as they genuinely enjoyed their current life, he was content. There was no need to forcibly reshape all changes into a perfect memory from the past. After all, memories changed over time. Right now, there were new things worth cherishing and admiring.

Silence gradually settled over the surroundings. The bonfire at the center of the plaza was nearly extinguished, only faint embers glowing red amidst the ashes, gently flickering in the breeze. Foxy crouched nearby, carefully roasting chunks of meat she’d found somewhere on a stick, warming them using the residual heat.

Yu Sheng lay down on the grassy slope at the edge of the plaza, finding a comfortable position as he gazed up at the night he’d crafted.

Beside him came the rustling sound of skirts brushing through grass.

Three little dolls quietly approached, creeping along stealthily as if planning mischief. But once they noticed Yu Sheng wide awake and watching, they quickly exchanged sheepish smiles and lay down in a neat row on his left side.

Incidentally, the Irene with the frame on her back had to lie face down—otherwise, she couldn’t get back up.

“Ah, finally some quiet,” Irene muttered softly, “Those little kids, sheesh!”

“But you were having plenty of fun yourself,” Yu Sheng glanced sideways, “Whenever the kids stopped chasing you, you’d even split off another body to poke them again.”

“Tch!” Irene clicked her tongue and shuffled closer to Yu Sheng’s arm, eyes wide open, staring at the sky.

After a while, the little doll sighed, “Ah, quiet nights are nice. Too bad there’s no stars tonight.”

“Obviously! This night sky was handcrafted by me!” Yu Sheng shot her a look as if she were being silly, “If you want stars, I’d need to poke holes in the clouds by hand.”

“…Well then, poke some! I wanna see stars.”

“Too lazy.”

“Tch!”

Yu Sheng ignored her protests, calling instead towards Foxy, “Lend me a tail.” Foxy cheerfully obliged, sending over one fluffy, warm fox-tail.

Hugging this comforting tail, Yu Sheng drifted into deep sleep right there on the grass, beneath the night he’d woven by hand, doing his best to ignore the dolls’ endless chattering.

In truth, Yu Sheng slept quite soundly.

Yu Sheng drifted in and out of a restless sleep. He didn’t know how long he’d been dreaming—hours, perhaps—but suddenly, a strange sensation pierced through the haze of his slumber.

Wind.

A cold wind, whistling sharply, as though winter itself had crept into a distant mountain cave. The chill brushed against the edges of his perception.

Coldness began to seep through him.

Yu Sheng snapped awake, eyes wide open.

Instantly, the biting chill faded, warmth flooding back around him. He found himself still lying in the grassy meadow of the Valley. The bonfire in the distance had long since gone out, leaving the plaza and the quiet little “Town” silent and undisturbed.

The three Irenes were sound asleep on the grass nearby, sprawled out carelessly, their gentle breathing barely audible. Beside him, a soft, comforting heat radiated from a pile of fluffy white tails. Foxy curled peacefully within that silken nest, half her body hidden, her head pressed against his arm, ears twitching gently in the night breeze.

Yu Sheng frowned. Though now fully awake and rational enough to recognize the difference between dreams and reality, the strange, unsettling feeling still lingered stubbornly at the edge of his senses.

Carefully, he lifted Foxy’s tails and sat up. She stirred immediately—sharp eyes flashing open like those of a wary beast—but as soon as she recognized him, the intense golden-red glow softened. Foxy stretched languidly, yawning.

“Benefactor, you’re awake already?”

Yu Sheng whispered urgently, “Did you hear something just now? Wind. Like wind blowing through a cave.”

Instantly alert, Foxy stopped mid-stretch, her gaze turning sharp. She listened intently, then casually pulled her ears from her head, lifting them high like radar dishes, rotating them carefully around. After a few seconds, she shook her head.

“Nothing.”

Yu Sheng’s brow furrowed deeper, but then an idea flashed through his mind.

“It’s at home!” he realized aloud.

Immediately, he conjured a Door, hastily instructing Foxy: “Wake Irene up and follow me! Something’s happening in the room at the far end of the second-floor hallway!”

Without waiting for her reply, he stepped through the Door.

The house at 66 Wutong Road was quiet, illuminated only by the soft glow of the hallway and staircase lights he had forgotten to turn off. Yu Sheng ascended cautiously, ensuring the rest of the house was secure before finally approaching the door at the hallway’s end.

This simple wooden door felt like it separated two entirely different worlds. Through it, Yu Sheng could hear the faint yet clear sound of wind and feel a cold draft slipping through the narrow gap beneath the doorframe.

He grasped the handle, steadied himself with a breath, and swiftly opened it.

Immediately, a frigid gust hit him, carrying a handful of snowflakes that scattered across his face.

Stunned, Yu Sheng stared into the room.

Everything appeared normal—floor, walls, and ceiling intact—but an invisible current of wind swept continuously through the enclosed space, accompanied by tiny snowflakes materializing from nowhere, swirling across the room before accumulating in heaps along the corners. The snow drifts, both real and illusory, stretched halfway up the walls.

Shivering involuntarily, Yu Sheng quickly shut the door, returning shortly after pulling on a thick down jacket.

Stepping back into the eerie room, he fixed his eyes upon the wall opposite, from which wind and snow inexplicably emerged. His gaze settled on the mirror hanging centrally.

Within its reflective surface lay a layered image—his own reflection mixed with another landscape entirely: a mysterious snow-filled cavern he had glimpsed once before.

Again, the room at Wutong Road No. 66 had overlapped with this distant cave. Now, the cave’s entrance was clearly visible mere meters beyond the mirror’s surface, where howling winds swept fresh snow continuously inside, depositing it into Yu Sheng’s home.

Clutching his coat tighter, Yu Sheng cautiously approached the mirror. Though he remained careful not to touch its strange surface, every step he took produced the distinct crunch of snow beneath his feet. Turning to examine a corner, something small fluttered there, caught in the cold draft.

A ragged piece of cloth.

Yu Sheng reached out slowly, taking hold of it. With the gentlest tug, the cloth slipped smoothly from the other world into his hand.

This novel is translated and hosted on bcatranslation