Safety Lessons

When they got back to the hotel and met Lily and Mr. Wu, Yu Zan reenacted the whole incident and painted herself as the hero she had been.

"And that's how I saved the birthday girl!" she concluded as if waiting for a round of applause.

"By using Jose's name?" Mr. Wu asked her.

"Among other things." Yu Zan confirmed.

"You better hope he doesn't hear about it, or you won't be able to hang around the casino anymore. You'll be blacklisted as quickly as I was."

"For saving my friend from two creeps?"

"Jose is particular about who uses his name."

"Jose, Jose, Jose, Jose…" Yu Zan said stubbornly.

"Jose, Jose, Jose, Jose, Jose…" Lily repeated as if this was a fun game they were all playing together.

Mr. Wu sighed in defeat. When the two of them stopped, he turned to Lily. "Lily, what's the moral of this story?"

"Don't say Jose's name," Lily said immediately.

"No! Well, yes, but not that one. What do I always tell you?"

"Oh!" Lily jumped up eagerly, happy that she knew the answer. "Don't talk to strangers!"

"That's right!" Mr. Wu nodded approvingly. "And what should you do if they talk to you first or start harassing you?"

"Harassing you?" Lily repeated in confusion.

"If they don't stop bothering you and you feel afraid," Mr. Wu explained.

"I don't know that answer, daddy," Lily said dejectedly.

"Pepper spray!" Mr. Wu reminded her.

Lily frowned. "But I don't have pepper spray."

"That's because you are still too young and you are always with an adult who can use the pepper spray on your behalf. I'll get you some when you are older." He reassured her. "We need to get Sun Mei some pepper spray, though," he added as an afterthought.

"I want some too!" Lily whined immediately.

"I can see how this backfired on me…" Mr. Wu muttered to himself.

"Daddy, I want pepper spray!" Lily repeated.

Yu Zan took her pepper spray out of her bag. "Here, you can use mine."

"Yu Zan, it's…"

"It's empty. I used it all on that guy's face," Yu Zan whispered as she handed the empty can to Lily.

The little girl started playing with the pepper spray excitedly, pretending that she was fending off imaginary predators. She even kicked at the air with her tiny legs.

"I sure wouldn't want to cross her path," Sun Mei whispered.

"Have you ever thought of enrolling her at a martial arts school?" Yu Zan added thoughtfully as Lily punched Sun Mei's bag.

"I have." Mr. Wu nodded.

"Why haven't you?"

"Because she's already kicked a girl at school once. If she gets any official training, she'll probably get herself expelled."

Yu Zan nodded approvingly. "I like your daughter."

Sun Mei smirked. "Do you now?"

"What was that, Sun Mei?"

"Nothing, Mr. Wu. I said I'm hungry. Yu Zan said she's treating us to dinner!" she added.

As they walked out of the hotel, Yu Zan whispered in her ear, "You're lucky I don't have Lily's moves!"