Chapter 59 Brother

Chapter 59: Brother

The first day of summer camp was a bit of a blur, and in the evening, they learned how to start a fire by friction and some outdoor survival tips.

That evening, they lit two bonfires by the creek, with orange-red flames that crackled and sent up little sparks, the occasional sound of burning wood echoing.

Waves of heat washed over Shen Ci's face as he stretched his hands toward the bonfire, feeling the dampness from the rainforest climate slowly being baked out of him.

Shen Ci looked up; the night had settled in, the moon hung high, and the sky was full of stars, a few of them twinkling on and off.

Lin Yuan was born in Canghai City, a city with a long history where the locals are big on folk traditions. Outside the downtown area, most places still stick to old customs and traditions.

He offered to teach everyone a bonfire dance. During festivals in Canghai City, the whole village would dance around the bonfire in special attire, and it was a whole lively scene.

Two girls who had taken dance classes before were eager to join him. But there was a part that needed four people to dance together. Lin Yuan looked around and pointed at Shen Ci.

"Hey, that student with the long hair, can you come fill in for us?"

Shen Ci was filming the bonfire for Song Qiuci when the teacher suddenly called him out. Caught off guard, he fumbled to put his phone away and instinctively looked over at Shen Shiyan.

"Go if you feel like it," Shen Shiyan said softly, leaning in with a hint of a smile.

Not wanting to hold everyone up, Shen Ci got up and walked over, a little awkwardly, and apologized to Lin Yuan, "Teacher Lin, I've never danced before. I might drag you guys down."

"No pressure, we're just messing around and learning together," Lin Yuan said, turned Shen Ci around by the shoulders to face everyone. He gestured around Shen Ci's hair, "The elders of our Canghai clan have hair even longer than this student's. They use silver hair ornaments and colorful ribbons to decorate it. When they dance around the bonfire, the bells and little charms on the silver jingle and clatter."

The parents and students were chatting and laughing among themselves. Shen Ci, not used to being the center of attention, blushed a little but tried to keep his cool, his eyes kept flicking over to where Shen Shiyan was.

The bonfire dance wasn't that hard, but it took some coordination. You had to lean forward and back, and swing your arms in a smooth, wave-like motion. Your steps alternated, with little side steps. After three sets of eight counts, the four of you formed a small circle, linked arms, and did a light hop-skip around, then spread out into a big circle and walked in a circle around the bonfire, keeping the beat.

After a bit, Lin Yuan was surprised to see that Shen Ci had great rhythm, keeping up just as well as him and the two girls.

Everyone else started copying them, swaying left and right. Across from Shen Shiyan, a chubby parent was grinning like a happy Buddha, while his son next to him was the total opposite—skinny as a rail and totally stiff, which got a laugh out of everyone.

Shen Shiyan's eyes never left Shen Ci, watching the flash of his ankle when he jumped and kicked, the way his hair flew back when he leaned backward, and the quick glimpse of his eyes when he covered his face.

He looked so alive and vibrant.

The final move was to bend your knees, bow, and then throw your hands up toward the sky while looking up at the night.

"Normally, we'd have two little scented pouches tied with slipknots in our sleeves, filled with petals or ribbons," Lin Yuan explained, out of breath as he showed the final move again. "When you throw your hands up, you pull the loose ribbon and toss it, and everything inside goes flying into the sky. It's a really spectacular sight."

It was easy to picture. If they had the props right now, the image of Shen Ci's eyes crinkling as petals fell around him would be beautiful.

Shen Shiyan shook his head and saved the video he'd taken into a hidden album.

After the lesson, it was time to actually do it.

No matter how good or bad they were, everyone tried to get into it, enjoying this rare relaxation away from the fast-paced city. Even Shen Siyu and Shen Rong joined in, the flickering firelight adding a touch of father-son warmth to their movements.

Shen Shiyan's movements were subtle, but as Shen Ci pulled him closer to and away from the bonfire, he gradually loosened up, his expression softening under the influence of the atmosphere.

They formed a four-person group with Chen Bufan and his father. Chen Bufan kicked in the wrong direction, causing a small laugh.

The plain yet passionate night ended as the bonfires gradually died down. Shen Ci washed his hands in the stream, the cold night water adding a touch of red to his fair skin.

Shen Shiyan accompanied him back and stood at the tent entrance for a while, gazing at the night scenery, before Shen Ci crawled into his sleeping bag.

A small lamp hung at the top of the tent. Shen Shiyan turned it off and lay down beside him.

At 1.92 meters tall, he couldn't fully stretch out in the sleeping bag. Even when he moved to the edge, he still brushed against Shen Ci's arm.

"D-ddy," Shen Ci suddenly turned sideways, scooting closer to the middle, "I want to see the video you took of me."

Shen Shiyan closed his eyes. "I didn't take any."

Didn't take any? He must have.

Shen Ci hugged him anyway. "Really? I clearly saw you filming me."

"Turn around," Shen Shiyan said flatly. "I was filming Teacher Lin Yuan. I've already deleted it."

Shen Ci pouted, not entirely convinced, but afraid that if he pressed further, it might turn out not to be about him. He turned away, feeling a bit down.

Shen Shiyan felt the emptiness as Shen Ci moved away. He opened his eyes and glanced at the dark tent, where almost nothing was visible.

"What are you upset about?" After lying still for a while, Shen Shiyan also turned sideways, pulling Shen Ci closer into his arms.

"I'm not upset," Shen Ci said, sensing a hint of resignation in Shen Shiyan's tone. Embarrassed by his own assumptions, he lightly elbowed him. "Didn't you tell me to turn around?"

"You're getting more and more temperamental." Shen Shiyan gently brushed a strand of hair from Shen Ci's shoulder and sighed. "It was of you."

Shen Shiyan rarely initiated hugs unless Shen Ci was sick with a stomachache, nor did he usually use such affectionate words to soothe him.

Shen Ci felt a sudden surge of flattery, and his earlier bad mood vanished.

"Then I want to see it." He tried to turn around, but Shen Shiyan held him too tightly to move.

Shen Shiyan took out his phone, pulled up the video, and held it in front of Shen Ci. "Don't go snooping around."

Shen Ci nodded and took the phone.

The video was heavily zoomed in, only capturing Shen Ci's figure, so it was a bit blurry, but it was clear that it was shot with care, the lens steady and focused solely on him.

Shen Ci couldn't quite describe his feelings, but it was like eating a soft candy, sweet and satisfying. He handed the phone back to Shen Shiyan.

"D-ddy," he called out again after a moment. "I think the way you filmed me is better than anyone else's."

Shen Ci recalled his elementary school graduation photos and the pictures taken when he went out with Song Qiuci and the others—none of those captured moments looked as good as the ones Shen Shiyan took of him.

"Mm," Shen Shiyan responded, then after a few seconds of hesitation, he said softly, "For now, call me 'brother' instead."

Shen Ci could probably tell that Shen Shiyan had little in common with the other parents, and whenever he called him "d-ddy," there were always some strange looks directed at Shen Shiyan.

"Okay," Shen Ci said, snuggling closer to find a comfortable spot in his arms. "Brother."

Shen Shiyan's heart beat a little faster. The ordinary word, spoken in Shen Ci's voice, felt entirely different.

But it didn't matter what it felt like. The moment he actively held Shen Ci, he had already decided to treat these seven days as a beautiful dream.

"Sleep," Shen Shiyan said softly.