Dimensional Hotel

Yu Sheng wasn’t entirely sure what Teacher Su—whom he had only briefly met—wanted to say, but he asked everyone else to leave the room so they could talk privately.

Now it was just the two of them. Yu Sheng pulled up a chair beside the bed, regarding the young council staff member, who had been assigned here in the role of “teacher.”

“So, what did you want to discuss?” he asked.

Leaning back against the headboard, Teacher Su looked a bit better than before. “I just wanted to thank you for bringing Xiao Xiao back safely… though I still can’t quite wrap my head around how you managed it.”

Yu Sheng offered a small smile. “It was nothing. Under the circumstances, I couldn’t just stand aside and do nothing.”

She paused, then asked rather bluntly, “Are you investigating the ‘fairy tale’ situation? That is… the ‘otherworld’ that’s affecting this place?”

Yu Sheng blinked in surprise, unsure why she’d suddenly bring that up.

But she didn’t seem to notice his reaction. Continuing as though she were talking to herself, she said, “I’ve been working in this orphanage for five years. Though anything ‘supernatural’ is usually handled by the Special Affairs Bureau, the council also has teams for these sorts of issues, and I’m one of their members, sent here under the guise of a teacher.”

After a brief pause, her voice softened. “Strange things happen in this orphanage all the time. Children vanish without warning—sometimes while they’re sleeping, sometimes right in the middle of class. A moment earlier, they might’ve been happily sharing a story from a picture book or asking if they could have ice cream, and then, out of nowhere, they’re gone, as if an invisible hand just snatched them away. Sometimes they get a second to scream or cry, but more often, it all happens too fast.”

Her gaze shifted far away. “For children under ten, these episodes strike suddenly, no warning at all. My training says I’m supposed to notice the signs within ten minutes and move the child to an isolation room, telling the others not to panic. At first, it scared me half to death, but fortunately, some of the older children acting as ‘guardians’ were there to help.”

Yu Sheng listened quietly, not interrupting.

“When I teach,” Teacher Su went on, “I’m constantly on guard—trying to read any shifts in their expressions or moods. If one child is unusually quiet, is it a sign of an imminent attack from the fairy tale? If another frowns, are they feeling unwell? If one of them shows up to class late, does that mean something’s already happened? Maybe there are twelve students here today, but will it still be twelve tomorrow?”

She let out a long sigh. “A lot of my colleagues don’t last long in this environment. They come with good intentions—wanting to protect the orphans and give them enough warmth to break free of the fairy tale’s hold. But as I mentioned, few can endure for long.”

Yu Sheng began to wonder if she’d strayed from her main point.

Catching herself, Teacher Su managed a sheepish smile. “I’m sorry—I probably sound like I’m complaining about my job.”

“It’s fine,” Yu Sheng assured her, waving a hand. “It helps me understand what it’s like here.”

She nodded, took a moment to collect herself, and finally said, “Actually, I wanted to tell you that if you plan on investigating this ‘fairy tale’ further, you should start with the Special Affairs Bureau’s archives—especially the ones from around seventy years ago.”

Yu Sheng leaned forward, suddenly alert. “Why those in particular?”

“I’m not sure if Little Red Riding Hood mentioned this,” Teacher Su began slowly, “but decades ago, the council and the Special Affairs Bureau tried solving the fairy tale problem by directly taking in all ‘special orphans.’”

“She did mention something along those lines,” Yu Sheng said with a nod. “She told me it failed pretty quickly because fairy tales are hostile to adults, and the situation got ugly.”

Teacher Su nodded. “Yes, it ended in disaster. Many people died, including top investigators from the Special Affairs Bureau—and some very skilled deep divers. But all that effort did produce a large amount of data. For a while, many adults had direct encounters with the fairy tale realm at its most active. These records contain the only real ‘adult-centered’ observations of the fairy tale’s otherworld. That perspective might help you more than Little Red Riding Hood’s viewpoint.”

His eyes shone with interest. “That’s definitely worth seeing. But the archives date back seventy years, right?”

Teacher Su took a breath. “Yes. The trouble is, those files are highly classified. Normal detectives can’t just walk in and request them. My own department isn’t linked to the Special Affairs Bureau, so I can’t help either. But… you brought Xiao Xiao back from the forest. That might grab their attention.”

Yu Sheng shrugged. “No need to worry. I know someone who might be able to give me access to those archives.” He pulled out his phone. “Give me a minute.”

He didn’t mention Bai Li Qing by name as he dialed, but the call connected almost at once.

“Hello? Yu Sheng?” The voice on the other end sounded composed, but Teacher Su’s expression hardened. Yu Sheng heard her mutter the words “iron-faced bureaucrat.”

He had the phone on speaker.

“Is there someone else with you?” Bai Li Qing asked, sounding faintly curious.

Yu Sheng silently angled the phone so Teacher Su could see the screen, revealing the caller’s name. She shut her eyes in resignation, her expression anything but relaxed.

“I’ll explain later,” Yu Sheng said hurriedly, hanging up before Bai Li Qing could ask more. Then he rushed to the door and hollered, “Somebody, come quick! Teacher Su fainted again!”

A minor uproar followed, and the infirmary doctor came back to ensure Teacher Su had a chance to rest.

After that, Yu Sheng met up with Foxy, Irene, and Little Red Riding Hood in the corridor and explained what had happened.

“She fainted twice in one go?” Irene exclaimed, perched on Yu Sheng’s shoulder. “And we think she’s okay?”

Yu Sheng scratched his head. “Why does everyone act so scared of Bai Li Qing? I mean, sure, her staff might be, but apparently even people from unrelated departments?”

Little Red Riding Hood gave him a wry smile. “First, she’s known to be quite strict. Second, she’s not just the head of the Special Affairs Bureau—she’s one of the council’s top five. Didn’t you know that?”

“…No,” Yu Sheng admitted.

Little Red Riding Hood glanced back at the infirmary, seeming concerned for Teacher Su. “Well, hopefully she can calm down. Someone that high up won’t waste her time being mad at a junior employee. But you…” She eyed Yu Sheng suspiciously. “Why was your phone on speaker?”

“It wasn’t on purpose!” Yu Sheng objected. “And Teacher Su was loud enough that speaker or not, Bai Li Qing would’ve heard anyway…”

He trailed off, clearly wanting to drop the topic. “Anyway, remember what I said before? Once we confirmed Xiao Xiao was stable, I wanted to take you somewhere.”

Little Red Riding Hood blinked and then nodded, recalling his earlier promise.

“I’m finished here,” Yu Sheng said, glancing at the evening sky through a window. “It’s not too late. Are you up for it now?”

She hesitated, looking over at the Long-Haired Princess and Xiao Xiao standing at a distance, obviously curious.

“I’ll be back soon,” she said to them. Then she turned to Yu Sheng. “Let’s go.”

This novel is translated and hosted on bcatranslation

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