I’m going to do everything to keep this country safe.

  “Hey, Ye Feng, wake up. It’s time for school.”

  “Yeah, Mom,” I said sleepily. “I’ll be there in five minutes.”

  “Okay, be quick or you’re going to be late.”

  “Yes, Mom.”

  Pff… my name is Ye Feng. I’m five years old. I was born in the United States, but both my parents are from China. My mom’s name is Qiu Yue, and my dad’s name is Lu Zhi Feng. I have two older brothers, which makes me the third child in the family.

  My oldest brother, Yi Si Feng, is the chairman of a big company. My second brother, Feng Jie, is a singer. And me? I have a dream—

  But before I tell you about my dream, let me tell you about my parents.

  My mom was transferred to Beijing No. 4 High School, the same school my dad attended. My dad was the son of the Chinese president, Xiao Zhang Feng. My grandfather was known as one of the best presidents—respected for his intelligence and leadership. But people didn’t know his darker side. During his rise to power, he had many people killed.

  My mom’s father also lived in the shadows. He was the leader of a powerful gang and had a dangerous past. Because of their families and the enemies around them, my parents escaped to the United States and married there, far away from the darkness that followed them.

  Even then, life was never easy. My dad’s enemies never stopped searching for him, and my mom taught me and my brothers how to stay safe and keep our identities hidden. Every smile at home felt like a small victory.

  Back in 1890, my mom and dad both applied to Peking University. My dad fell in love with my mom that same year. They started dating in 1894 and got married three years later in the US. Soon after, they had three sons—my brothers and me.

  Now I can finally tell you my dream.

  I want to be the President of the United States.

  “Hey, Ye Feng, are you done yet?” my mom called. “I’m coming!”

  “Mom! I’m coming!”

  Arrived at school

  “See you later, Ye Feng. Love you.”

  “Love you too, Mom.”

  At school, a classmate waved at me.

  “Hey, Feng!”

  “Hey! Did you see the movie yesterday? It was so cool—”

  “Everyone, take a seat,” the teacher said.

  “Yes, ma’am!” the students replied.

  When the bell rang, the teacher smiled. “Bye, everyone.”

  “Bye, teacher!”

  Later, Max walked up to me.

  “Hey, Feng. How was class today?”

  “Good. What about you?”

  “It was good. We talked about your grandpa today.”

  “Really? My grandpa?”

  “Yeah, your grandpa,”

  Really interesting? i said

  Time to go max

  “Bye, Max,” I said.

  “Bye, Feng.”

  At home, my mom asked, “Feng, how was school today?”

  “Good.”

  Three months passed quickly, and soon my birthday arrived.

  “Feng, today is your eleventh birthday! Happy birthday!” my mom said.

  “Thanks, Mom.”

  My family and friends sang together as I closed my eyes and blew out the candles.

  One day, I promised myself, I’m going to be President and protect my family.

  After the celebration, I sat on the porch holding a new toy. Max ran over and sat beside me.

  “Hey, Ye Feng,” he said, laughing. “Do you think one day we’ll do something amazing?”

  I smiled. “I’m going to be President one day. And you’ll be right there with me.”

  Max grinned. “Of course. We’ll rule the world together.”

  “Crazy how three years passed already, right?” I said.

  “Yeah,” Max laughed.

  “Hey guys, dinner’s ready!” my mom called.

  “Coming!” we shouted.

  At the table, my mom smiled. “So, Feng, do you have a girlfriend in high school yet?”

  “Mom!” I said.

  She laughed. “Okay, okay. Your brothers are coming home in May.”

  “Let’s gooo!” I said.

  Later that day, Max and I headed out.

  “Bye, Mom!”

  “Bye,” she said. “Take care.”

  “Bye, Mrs. Feng,” Max added.

  At school the next day, Max nudged me. “Look at that girl. She’s cute.”

  “She really is,” I said.

  Max looked. “You like her.”

  “No, I don’t.”

  “You never call girls cute.”

  Before I could reply, the teacher spoke. “Alright, class. Find a partner for this assignment.”

  I looked around the room. Max was already talking to someone else. My heart beat a little faster as I turned to the girl sitting next to me.

  I tapped the desk softly.

  “Hey… do you want to be my partner?” I asked.

  She looked up at me, surprised for a second, then smiled.

  “Sure,” she said. “That’s fine.”

  I felt relieved.

  “Oh—uh—my name is Ye Feng,” I said. “People usually call me Feng.”

  She nodded. “Nice to meet you, Feng. I’m Raina.”

  “Nice to meet you too,” I said, smiling.

  Max leaned over from behind me and whispered, “You’re definitely lying—you like her.”

  I sighed. “Be quiet.”

  The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

  Raina laughed a little. “So… what part do you want to work on first?”

  I looked down at the paper, then back at her.

  “Let’s start together.”

  For the first time that day, school didn’t feel boring at all.

  After school, the sun was starting to set as Max and I walked home together. Our backpacks felt heavier than usual, not because of homework, but because of everything we didn’t say.

  “So,” Max said, kicking a small rock down the sidewalk, “you really want to be President someday?”

  I nodded. “Yeah. I want to protect people. I don’t want families to lose everything like mine almost did.”

  Max stopped walking and looked at me. “That’s a big dream.”

  “I know,” I said. “But I’m serious.”

  He smiled, but there was something strange in his eyes—something I didn’t notice back then.

  “Well,” he said, “if you become President, I guess I’ll have to become something important too.”

  I laughed. “You already are important.”

  When I got home, my mom was in the kitchen making dinner. The smell of food filled the house.

  “How was school?” she asked.

  “It was good,” I said. “I made a new partner in class.”

  She smiled softly. “That’s nice. Friends are important, Feng. Remember that.”

  I nodded, not knowing how true her words would become in the future.

  That night, I lay in bed staring at the ceiling. My dream felt far away, like a star I could barely see—but I promised myself I would reach it one day.

  No matter what.

  A few weeks later, our school held a small community event. Parents, teachers, and students gathered in the gym. Flags hung from the walls, and a banner read: “Future Leaders Day.”

  I didn’t know why, but the words made my chest feel warm.

  The principal stood at the microphone. “Today, we want students to talk about what they want to be in the future.”

  One by one, kids raised their hands.

  “I want to be a doctor.”

  “I want to be famous.”

  “I want to be rich.”

  Then Max nudged me. “You should say it.”

  I shook my head. “No way.”

  Before I could stop him, Max raised his hand for me.

  “Yes?” the principal said, pointing in my direction.

  My heart started pounding as I stood up. The gym suddenly felt very quiet.

  “My name is Ye Feng,” I said. “People call me Feng.”

  I swallowed and looked at the crowd. I saw my mom smiling from the back.

  “One day,” I continued, “I want to be President. I want to protect this country and keep people safe.”

  For a second, no one said anything.

  Then someone started clapping.

  Then more people joined.

  I sat down, my face burning.

  Max leaned over and whispered, “See? I told you.”

  After the event, my mom hugged me tightly.

  “You were brave today,” she said. “Never forget why you chose that dream.”

  That night, Max and I sat on the roof of my house, looking at the stars.

  “Promise me something,” Max said.

  “What?” I asked.

  “No matter what happens,” he said, “we stay on the same side.”

  I smiled. “I promise.”

  Back then, I didn’t know how much that promise would be tested.

  The next morning, I woke up to the smell of breakfast. My mom was flipping pancakes, and the warm smell filled the whole house.

  “Good morning, Feng! Did you sleep well?” she asked.

  “Yeah, Mom. Smells amazing!” I said, rushing to the table.

  My brothers were already there. Yi Si Feng was quietly reading the newspaper, looking serious as always. Feng Jie was teasing our little dog, trying to make it jump for a treat.

  “Morning, little brother,” Yi Si said, not looking up.

  “Morning,” I replied, carefully avoiding getting in the way of Feng Jie’s chaos.

  Max slid into the chair next to me. “You know, you’ve got a lot of work to do if you’re going to be President one day.”

  I rolled my eyes. “I’ve got time. I’m only fourteen."

  “ Fourteen Today,” Max said with a grin.

  I said, smiling. It felt good to have him there. Max always knew how to make me laugh, even when I felt nervous about school or… life.

  After breakfast, we walked to school together. The streets were busy, but I liked walking with Max. We talked about everything—school, dreams, jokes, and the weird things our teachers did.

  At school, we had a science experiment. Max and I were paired up.

  “Alright,” Max said, spreading his notes on the table, “we’ve got to make the volcano explode perfectly.”

  I giggled. “Don’t tell me you’re scared it won’t work.”

  “Me? Scared? Never!” he said, puffing out his chest.

  The experiment went perfectly. Lava oozed from our volcano, and everyone clapped. I felt proud. “See? We make a good team,” I whispered to Max.

  “Always,” he replied with a wink.

  After class, we walked home again. The sun was low, painting the streets gold.

  “You think we could really do something amazing someday?” Max asked.

  “I know we will,” I said. “We just have to keep trying.”

  He smiled and punched my shoulder lightly. “Deal. But first… we survive middle school.”

  I laughed. That was easy to agree with. Middle school already felt like a battle sometimes.

  When I got home, my mom called from the kitchen. “Feng, homework first, then dinner. Don’t forget!”

  “Yes, Mom!” I shouted, grabbing my books. Max waved goodbye and promised he’d help me with my math later.

  That night, I looked out the window at the stars again. I thought about my family, Max, and my dream. One day, I would make a difference. One day, I would protect my country.

  But for now… I was just a kid, learning, laughing, and making promises under the quiet night sky.

  It was another bright morning at school. I walked down the hallway with Max, my backpack bouncing on my shoulders.

  “There she is again,” Max whispered, nodding toward Raina.

  I felt my stomach tighten. My chest felt funny, like I’d just swallowed a little stone. “Shh… don’t say anything,” I muttered, trying to sound casual.

  Raina was standing by her locker, humming quietly to herself as she organized her books. She looked up and smiled when she saw me. That smile… I couldn’t stop staring.

  “Hey, Feng!” she said, walking toward me. “Do you have a minute? I need help with this math problem.”

  I blinked. “Uh… sure! Yeah… let’s see it.”

  Max elbowed me. “Careful, you’re blushing.”

  “Shut up, Max!” I whispered, glaring at him.

  As Raina explained the problem, I noticed the way her hair fell across her face, the little freckle near her eyebrow, and the way she tilted her head when she thought hard. My heart beat faster.

  I caught myself smiling without realizing it. “Okay… I think I got it,” I said. “Try it like this…”

  She looked at me with her big eyes. “Oh! That actually works. You’re really smart, Feng.”

  I scratched the back of my neck. “Thanks… uh… Raina.”

  Max groaned behind me. “Oh, come on. You’re acting like a total nerd in love.”

  “Max!” I hissed.

  Raina laughed softly, making my chest flutter. I couldn’t tell if it was the joke or her laugh… but I didn’t want it to stop.

  When the bell rang, we went our separate ways. I kept thinking about her all the way to class, about the way she smiled, the way she asked for help, and how easy it felt just being near her.

  That night, lying in bed, I thought about Raina again. She’s… different, I realized. I don’t just like her as a friend… maybe I like her as something more.

  I rolled onto my side and stared at the ceiling. Being President was still my big dream, but now… there was another kind of feeling I didn’t quite understand yet.

  It was a quiet evening when I heard shouting downstairs. My stomach dropped.

  “Feng! Get back inside!” my mom yelled. Her voice was sharp and scared.

  I peeked out the window and saw her in the yard, arguing with a stranger. My heart pounded. I had never seen my mom like this—she was usually calm and kind, but tonight… something was wrong.

  Without thinking, I ran outside. “Mom!” I shouted.

  The stranger stepped closer, but my mom grabbed my hand. “Feng! Run! Go back to the house!”

  I didn’t hesitate. I sprinted across the yard, barely looking back. My chest burned, my legs shook, but I made it inside. I slammed the door and locked it.

  My mom was already inside, breathing heavily. “Feng… you have to stay inside. I’ll handle it,” she said, her eyes filled with worry.

  I nodded. I felt helpless but safe. Somehow, she always knew what to do.

  A few weeks later

  School had organized a small spring prom, and I couldn’t believe I was going. I adjusted my suit nervously in the mirror. Max was teasing me as usual.

  “You’re nervous, admit it,” he said, smirking.

  “Shut up, Max,” I replied.

  Raina walked in, wearing a simple dress that made her glow under the lights. My heart skipped a beat.

  “Hi, Feng,” she said softly.

  “Hi, Raina,” I said, trying to act cool but failing miserably.

  “Do you… want to dance?” she asked, tilting her head slightly.

  I blinked. “Uh… yes! I mean… I’d love to.”

  We stepped onto the dance floor. The music played softly, and for a moment, it felt like the world had stopped. I wasn’t thinking about homework, or fights, or anything else. Just Raina, smiling at me.

  Max waved from across the room. “Don’t mess this up, nerd!”

  I ignored him, focusing on Raina. “I’m glad we’re partners… in class… and here too,” I said, feeling my face heat up.

  She laughed softly. “Me too, Feng.”

  For the first time that evening, I felt like nothing could touch us. My family was safe, Max was by my side, and Raina… she smiled at me like I mattered.