Dimensional Hotel-Chapter 246: Bonfires, Fireworks, and a Long-awaited Reunion

It blazed to life—a bonfire piled as high as a mountain erupted into flames.

The girl known as the “Little Matchstick Seller” pointed a middle finger at the huge stack, and suddenly, fire bloomed.

Thick clouds rolled in, sealing the sky shut, and an artificial night descended upon the valley. Lamps glowed gently from rows of temporary cabins, speckling the darkness with the first flickers of starlight.

Everyone was invited to the square: all the children of the Orphanage, the Council employees who had watched over them, and the engineering team from the Special Affairs Bureau who would leave the next morning. Hundreds of people gathered around the roaring bonfire, beyond which the massive forms of the silent Thunder Titans sat quietly, observing.

At the edge of the square, an ethereal Door appeared, floating softly. Yu Sheng pushed it open and stepped out, waving cheerfully to Little Red Riding Hood and the others waiting nearby. “Look who’s come to visit!”

Li Lin and Xu Jiali stepped through first, their eyes widening in surprise as they took in the lively scene before them. Prompted by Yu Sheng, they quickly stepped forward to greet Little Red Riding Hood.

Sun Gong, the leader of the Special Affairs Bureau’s engineering team, seemed to know Xu Jiali personally. He came rushing over eagerly, followed by a few others. Teacher Su and the rest of the Council’s employees joined in, warmly welcoming their guests.

A few seconds passed, and then another figure stepped through the Door—a cool, elegant woman with a silver-gray ponytail and dressed in a simple white skirt. She hesitated slightly, glancing around with cautious curiosity.

Instantly, silence blanketed the crowd.

Sun Gong stared, eyes bulging in shock. “Di…Director?”

Yu Sheng glanced around, amused, noticing even the usually boisterous Long Haired Girl Princess had straightened up stiffly, looking as though she was bravely confronting some dark force, hardly daring to breathe.

He couldn’t help laughing, breaking the awkward silence. “What’s with you all? Director Bai Li doesn’t bite.”

“I knew it would turn out like this,” Bai Li Qing herself said, her expression tinged with resignation. She sighed softly. “Everyone relax. I’m just here to join the festivities—pretend I’m not here.”

“Uh, Director, we’re just a little surprised,” Sun Gong quickly responded, coughing lightly to dispel the tension. “Of course, it’s great that you came, but we weren’t prepared…”

“It was a last-minute decision. No one knew,” Bai Li Qing waved dismissively, her gaze shifting softly to Little Red Riding Hood and the closest Guardians. She took a gentle breath, her tone softening noticeably. “Congratulations, all of you.”

Little Red Riding Hood stepped forward slightly, wearing a faint smile. “Thank you. You’ve always looked after us.”

“No need for formalities,” Bai Li Qing nodded and glanced up thoughtfully at the darkened sky. After a short pause, she turned toward Yu Sheng. “A very creative…night. So, what’s the first event?”

“Long Haired Girl, where are your fireworks?” Little Red Riding Hood immediately turned to her roommate. “You’ve been talking about them all afternoon. Now’s your chance.”

“Oh yeah, fireworks!” The Long Haired Girl Princess instantly jumped with excitement, shouting happily as she ran towards the Portal Platform. “I stashed them all by the platform! Wait here—Matchstick, come on! Fireworks time!”

The two young ladies raced away from the square, their excited shouts echoing behind them. Moments later, a sharp whistling pierced the night. A brilliant streak of light shot upward from the central Portal Platform and burst in mid-air, painting the darkness with dazzling colors.

As the fireworks exploded, Yu Sheng thought he faintly heard a familiar voice echoing in his mind, “[Ouch—my eyes got blasted…]”

Yet nobody else seemed to notice a fleeting pair of eyes blinking away amidst the fireworks. More and more rockets rose into the night sky, and cheers erupted from the Cursed Children below. ŗÅ𐌽ŎＢΕS̈

Irene joined in, her cheers multiplied by three—Irene, Irene, and Irene all celebrating together.

Then there was Foxy, who excitedly cheered as she raised her Fox Carrot Gun to the heavens, deliberately timing her shots to blend her mystical Fox Fire with the fireworks launched from the platform. Explosions of brilliant blue flame cascaded through the sky, showering down like meteor trails.

The celebration was called a party, but there were no real rules or formal procedures. For the Cursed Children, tonight was a joyous farewell to their childhood past and a cheerful greeting to the new life ahead—a lively, noisy sign that their journey had begun anew.

No one needed help building excitement with so many kids around. The carnival had already burst into life.

The roasting racks rose up beside the great bonfire. Masters from the Engineering Squad bustled alongside older kids, while smaller Cursed Children scampered between the plaza and the Portal Platform. Some ran to the “Long Haired Girl Big Sister,” begging for smaller fireworks, others hurried by with snacks.

Though barely one or two hundred meters separated the plaza and the platform, King grandly waved its claw and summoned knights on patrol, joined by night watchmen carrying lanterns, all dutifully marching along this short “Carnival Path.” ƒгeewёbnovel.com

Suddenly, a pumpkin carriage soared out from the rooftop of the “Castle” at the edge of Town. It glided across the night sky between bonfire and fireworks, scattering colorful pieces of paper down onto the plaza.

Yu Sheng casually caught one of these fluttering scraps. He glanced down to see big, childlike letters written in colorful watercolors:

“Wo xiang grow up to be su Teacher!”

Delighted, Yu Sheng handed the note over to Little Red Riding Hood. Yet when he turned, he noticed a strange look pass over her face—a mix of complicated emotions that left him puzzled. A brief silence followed, but then she smiled and gestured towards the bonfire.

“Look—King just summoned its Court Jester.”

The Jester appeared in a flash, clad in gaudy clothes and wearing a clown mask beneath a pointed hat. Though just a summoned being, devoid of much thought or will, even he seemed touched by the special mood tonight. The exaggerated smile beneath his mask appeared sincere and enthusiastic. Moments later, traveling musicians and Minstrels emerged from the air itself, their music lively yet mysterious.

From among the older children, a graceful young girl with soft, flowing hair and dressed in a pale-blue gown stepped forth excitedly. Matching her voice to the unfamiliar yet cheerful tune, she hummed a gentle melody, soft yet clear enough to echo beautifully through half the Valley.

No special effects adorned her song—only beauty, pure and simple.

Yu Sheng quietly retreated, unnoticed by anyone amid Mermaid’s captivating voice. He left the crowded square, stepping into a quieter area near the edge of the encampment.

Here Bai Li Qing stood with her arms crossed, quietly gazing toward the plaza with a faint, seldom-seen smile.

“You’re hiding pretty far away,” Yu Sheng said casually, strolling over. “Never knew you could smile like that.”

“I’ve said it before—I’m not expressionless. It’s just that seriousness is required by my position, and over time it became habit,” Bai Li Qing replied with a hint of helplessness. “And I’m not hiding, either. I just don’t enjoy crowded parties much, and honestly, others don’t like having a Special Affairs Bureau Director hovering around while they have fun, so I found a quiet spot instead.”

“Fair enough. Quiet is good, and you’re not the only one who prefers it,” Yu Sheng nodded agreeably. “Where’s your sister, by the way? She alright?”

Without speaking, Bai Li Qing pointed silently into the air behind her.

Yu Sheng’s eyes followed her direction and found a pair of enormous spectral eyes hovering in the darkness. They blinked repeatedly, large tears rolling from their corners—but each tear vanished the instant it left the invisible boundary of those ghostly eyes. Apart from these floating eyes, Bai Li Snow’s entire being seemed completely erased from existence.

Yu Sheng was speechless.

“A huge one exploded directly into my eyes,” Bai Li Snow explained with a monotonous, mechanical voice. Even through the flatness, Yu Sheng could detect a strong undercurrent of grievance.

“I warned you not to stick your face into everything,” Bai Li Qing sighed wearily. “Just take your time recovering. Anyway, I’m not sure where I’d even find eye drops big enough for that.”

Slowly, the giant eyes faded into the darkness.

A quiet rustling arose nearby.

Not surprised in the slightest, Yu Sheng crouched down as if expecting something. Sure enough, a small reddish-brown figure darted out of the grass and sprang nimbly onto Yu Sheng’s shoulder.

“Squirrel’s here!” came the tiny, bright voice, bursting with happiness. “The fireworks are beautiful!”

Yu Sheng lightly tapped Squirrel’s small head affectionately, then raised his gaze towards another direction of the night.

A figure dressed in a hunter’s garb stood silently in the distance, an empty shape under the moonlight, quietly watching them from afar.

“Good evening,” Yu Sheng greeted with a friendly nod towards Hunter. “I was beginning to think you wouldn’t come.”

“I wanted to come earlier! But Hunter kept dragging his feet,” Squirrel chattered indignantly into Yu Sheng’s ear. “One minute he says his clothes aren’t straightened, the next that there’s something wrong with his rifle—why would you even need a rifle at a bonfire festival?”

Yu Sheng said nothing, merely turned his gaze to Bai Li Qing.

She stepped forward slowly, approaching Hunter, staring calmly at the empty clothes and hooded void as if gazing into vanished faces and lost eyes from the distant past.

“It’s been a long time.”

The hood shifted slightly, and a hoarse, indistinct voice came from the darkness beneath:

“Yes, Director. It has been a long time.”

Yu Sheng, who had been watching idly, suddenly froze at this exchange as realization dawned.

[Hunter, the entity born from the fusion of the Deep Dive Squad seventy years ago, addressed Bai Li Qing as “Director”—and said it had been a long time?]

This novel is translated and hosted on bcatranslation