Until You (Yuzhou Fanfic)

1. Unwanted Predicaments

In the wake of Twilight, the lamp posts at the side of the garden pathway flickered on, one after another. Like a beautiful chain of light, it illuminated the surrounding area in hues of golden yellow. A lone pedestrian stood at the end of the pathway, wonder reflected in his childlike eyes, marvelling at the sight before him. To him the scene looked straight out of an oil painting.

Every day at this time of dusk he would wait at the end of the gravel road and watch the orbs encased by the glass shade of the lamp, glow like bright stars, dispelling the darkness of the night looming ahead.

Personally, he liked to think that this was what stars would have looked like if they would have been closer to the earth. Walking under the arches of these reflected lights, he felt like an emperor. As if the lanes were lit to commemorate his return after a victorious battle.

Anyone who heard his thoughts would think that he was being delusional, but it's just the way he was. A little dreamy, a little bit crazy and always trying to find beauty in the simplest of things. Life was too short to squander thinking about grave things anyway. In the twenty-three years of his still young life, he liked to believe in the motto, 'Enjoy the moment you're in!'

Of course, life had thrown him his shares of ups and downs but he had learnt to leave all the worries behind and get on in life, with a smile on his face.

He looked at his watch and fastened his pace towards the building towering ahead at the other end of the pathway. One could see people on and about in the vicinity engaged in their own task at hand. A man in his mid-fifties pulled at the leash in his hand trying to quieten the animal who had suddenly started barking. The dog wagged it's tail in excitement as the familiar scent of the person came near.

"Ah! Wei Zhou!" Eyes alighted in recognition, the elderly man waved at the person. "Is it already time for your shift?"

"Yes, General Liu!" Replied the youngster with a slight pull of his lips.

As soon as the mighty dog heard Wei Zhou's voice it came bounding towards the youngster with a slight limp in his hind leg. The gravel on the pavement shifted as Wei Zhou knelt on one knee to greet the dog. His body lurched backwards the moment his arms encompassed the furry presence of the canine, warming the front of his clothes at the immediate contact.

"Hey, Jūjī bīng*! How are you doing boy?" Wei Zhou crooned. The tips of his fingers tingled as they combed through the bristly furs on the animal's back. In response to his greeting, Wei Zhou received a wet lick at the corner of his lips. A series of joyful laughter burst forth from his chest and he turned his head slightly to avoid the sloppy tongue.

*(A/N: Jūjī bīng - means sniper in Chinese)

Jūjī bīng was a Kunming Wolfdog, a breed native to China. They are often trained as military dogs and are quite similar to German Shepherds. When General Liu had retired from the army he had adopted the injured Kunming and brought him home. Both, the master and his pet were hailed as veterans of the military in this neighbourhood.

"Watch out or you'll be reprimanded for being covered in dog fur."

While still petting Jūjī bīng the youngster replied without taking his eyes of the canine, "don't worry about it! I'll be soon changing into my uniform anyway."

General Liu's eyes crinkled at the corners in a fatherly smile. "You're going to spoil him silly with all your love and attention. He hardly ever shows this level of excitement when he sees me."

"That's because you're always with him and seldom leave him alone." This time, Wei Zhou stopped his roving hands and bestowed the general with one of his boyish smiles that would've paled the rising moon in comparison.