Dimensional Hotel

Chapter 142: When Tomorrow Suddenly Feels Worth Waiting For

Without hesitating, Yu Sheng opened a shimmering door right there in the corridor, visible to the Long-Haired Princess and Xiao Xiao. Of course, he tapped a button on his phone to file the appropriate alert.

A glowing, ghostly doorway appeared out of thin air, showing a glimpse of some unknown land beyond.

“Whoa—” The Long-Haired Princess’s eyes went wide, her face full of astonishment. “What… what is that?”

Yu Sheng kept one hand on the door’s edge, holding it steady. He grinned casually. “It’s my ability. Didn’t Little Red mention it?”

“She did, but I never imagined something like this,” the Long-Haired Princess stammered, still gawking at the strange sight beyond the door. “What’s on the other side?”

“Interested? You’re welcome to come,” Yu Sheng said with an inviting smile, then turned to Xiao Xiao. “How about you? Want to take a look? It’s not easy finding open spaces in Boundary City.”

Xiao Xiao looked uncertain, glancing at the Long-Haired Princess for guidance.

Little Red Riding Hood hesitated. The scene beyond felt oddly familiar, though she couldn’t quite place it because the angle looked off. But seeing Yu Sheng’s relaxed yet confident manner, she sensed it must be safe. After a moment, she gave the Long-Haired Princess a nod. “Let’s all go. If Yu Sheng says it’s fine, we can trust him.”

“Okay! Let me just tell the others—I’ll be right back!”

The Long-Haired Princess dashed away, returning within minutes with a small backpack. “I’m ready!”

Yu Sheng noticed her bag and raised an eyebrow. “Why the backpack?”

“It’s got a water bottle, tissues, snacks, bandages—the basics,” she explained, adjusting the straps on Xiao Xiao’s shoulders. “Oh, I forgot the yellow safety cap—wait, I’ll—”

“We’re not exactly going on a field trip,” Yu Sheng said, half-amused. “And there aren’t any cars or crosswalks out there. Worst case, I can just open another door and bring us back.”

“Ah? R-right, sorry,” the Long-Haired Princess mumbled, looking a bit flustered. “Where exactly are we going?”

“Just some farmland,” Irene answered dryly, perched on Yu Sheng’s shoulder.

The Long-Haired Princess looked like she wanted to ask more, but Little Red Riding Hood had already stepped boldly through the door. Irene followed, and Foxy slipped through next. Yu Sheng beckoned for the others. “Come on. You’ll be surprised.”

They all felt a brief wave of dizziness, as though they were weightless, and in less than a second, the orphanage corridor vanished behind them. They found themselves in a vast, open valley.

The Long-Haired Princess froze, speechless, surrounded by bright blue skies and towering mountains. Below lay a huge, sweeping valley. Next to her, Xiao Xiao’s eyes widened at the grand sight. This shy little girl—usually withdrawn and afraid—was now beaming, her excitement shining on her face.

“Wow—”

Xiao Xiao breathed, laughter bubbling out as she pointed to the distant mountains and the softly tinted green wilderness. It wasn’t clear what she found so funny, but her joy was unmistakable. ?Å?ó??s

Meanwhile, Little Red Riding Hood had gone completely still, her eyes locked on the mountains circling the valley. Her expression changed from puzzled to stunned, then became subtly tense.

She knew this place.

Yes, it looked very different, but the shape of the valley was the same. Yet before she could fully grasp what she was seeing, something else drew her attention.

In the valley’s center, she recognized a large, flat platform where they stood now. Around it were neat rows of vegetable fields, definitely man-made. She spotted an unfinished irrigation ditch on one side, and near the edge, an odd, makeshift toilet. The entire setup looked so random that it left her mind spinning.

At last, she turned toward Yu Sheng, who was watching her with a knowing look.

“Remember how I said I’d figure out the Black Forest—and the whole fairy tale problem?” he said, stepping closer. “You insisted it was impossible, that fairy tales can’t be wiped out. But look around. This is proof.”

Little Red’s voice came out unsteady. “This is… Night Valley?”

She could hardly process the implications.

“It used to be,” Yu Sheng corrected, gazing at the valley’s perimeter. “But I’ve been thinking about renaming it. Ever since that giant eye disappeared, there’s no more endless ‘night.’ Actually, my problem now is figuring out how to make it dark sometimes—I can’t plant everything in perpetual daylight. I have no clue how to build greenhouses, either.”

Little Red Riding Hood felt her thoughts tangling. Dealing with Yu Sheng and his strange companions often left her feeling outmatched. She finally managed to refocus. “Wait—what happened to the Hunger Entity that ruled this place?”

“Gone,” Yu Sheng said with a casual shrug. “We cooked it. Remember that dish you saw at dinner last time? That was all that was left of it.”

She gaped at him, utterly confused. “That’s… I… you’re telling me this valley doesn’t spawn the Hunger Entity anymore?”

Yu Sheng nodded. “Exactly. I’m planning to use this place as our hotel’s main source of produce, but it’s still a work in progress.”

Ignoring his talk of farmland, Little Red Riding Hood stared sharply at him. “You’re saying the old rules just… vanished? So the subset itself is—? But the valley’s still here—”

“Bai Li Qing explained it best,” Yu Sheng said, raising a hand to calm her. “Think of this valley as a hollow shell. The rules and creatures that once filled it were destroyed in the process. Now it’s harmless.”

He paused before adding, “Oh, and it’s also connected to Wutong Road No. 66, but I’m still figuring out the exact layout. Basically, it’s like this whole place is now my house’s backyard.”

Little Red Riding Hood said nothing for a long while. She watched the serene valley, the clear sky, and the gentle green shoots on the slopes. This was no longer a realm of Hunger and Despair.

Suddenly, rapid footsteps grabbed her attention. Xiao Xiao came running over, smiling as she offered a handful of weeds. “Red Hat Sister! Look, flowers!”

Little Red Riding Hood blinked. Only then did she notice the tears on her own cheeks. Xiao Xiao’s voice trembled with worry. “Why are you crying? Does it hurt? Are you breaking?”

Quickly wiping her face, Little Red knelt down and gently took the weeds from Xiao Xiao’s small hands, ruffling her hair. “I’m fine. The cold wind made my eyes water. And these aren’t flowers, they’re just leaves.”

“They blew away,” Xiao Xiao giggled. “You can pretend they’re still there.”

“Alright,” Little Red agreed with a soft smile. “Thank you for the flowers.”

Standing up, she spotted the Long-Haired Princess climbing up onto the big platform. She was inspecting something near that odd-looking, ramshackle toilet.

“Red Hat!” the Princess called over, waving excitedly. “There’s a flock of chickens behind the toilet!”

Little Red squinted under the bright sunlight, a surprising warmth filling her chest. She found herself smiling.

Somehow, tomorrow felt worth waiting for.

Yu Sheng, however, looked miffed.

“That’s not a toilet!” he hollered, jumping in annoyance. “It’s Phase One of my future clubhouse!”