Karen and the others were stunned. They turned to look at Lu Jiaojiao, their eyes filled with doubt and anger.

Lina stepped forward and carefully examined the marks on Lu Jiaojiao's arm. Sure enough, she found that they were faked with paint and immediately shook her head at Karen.

"So that's how it is..." Karen looked guilty and cupped her hands in a gesture of apology to Shen Qingtang. "Shen Qingtang, I'm so sorry. We listened to the slander of a villain and misunderstood you."

"Yes, I never expected this woman to be so vicious, actually fabricating such lies to deceive us!" Joey said indignantly, her eyes full of disgust as she looked at Lu Jiaojiao.

Lu Jiaojiao's face turned pale and she trembled all over. She wanted to explain, but she couldn't say a word.

Looking at her disheveled appearance, Shen Qingtang showed no sympathy whatsoever: "Now, what do you have to say?"

After Karen and the others learned the truth, they looked at Lu Jiaojiao with disdain.

Joey stepped forward and shoved her aside, angrily shouting, "You vicious woman, how dare you deceive us! It's unforgivable!"

Lu Jiaojiao staggered and fell to the ground. Seeing the disgusted looks from everyone, she could only shrink into a corner and dare not make a sound.

Not far away, Pei Nian'an and Jenny were squatting on the ground, playing with the colored glass beads that Jenny had brought.

Sunlight shone on the two children, their golden curly hair contrasting beautifully with their short black hair, creating a particularly heartwarming scene.

Pei Nian'an picked up a blue glass bead, shook it in the sunlight, and handed it to Jenny with a smile, gesturing in her childish voice: "This looks like your eyes, sparkling."

Jenny took the glass bead, her eyes crinkling with a smile, and then picked up a red bead and placed it in his hand.

She tilted her head and babbled something, and although Pei Nian'an couldn't understand her, she could feel her happiness.

Just then, a sinister gaze fell upon the two of them.

Pei Jindan suddenly appeared out of nowhere, clutching a rusty knife in his hand, his eyes fixed on Pei Nian'an, his face full of jealousy and resentment.

He looked at Pei Nian'an, dressed in exquisite clothes and accompanied by a foreign little girl, living such a comfortable life. Then, thinking about his own situation of being dependent on others and suffering mistreatment at every turn, his malice grew wildly.

"Pei Nian'an! What makes you think you're doing so well!"

Pei Jindan roared as he charged forward, his knife aimed at Pei Nian'an's back. "You bastard, you shouldn't be alive! I'll kill you, and this foreign girl too!"

Pei Nian'an reacted extremely quickly. Upon hearing the sound, she immediately turned around and saw the knife thrusting towards her. Her eyes turned cold.

He instinctively shielded Jenny behind him, and at the same time quickly took out a small toy gun from his spatial storage. This was a self-defense weapon that Shen Qingtang had given him.

Although not very lethal, it was enough to subdue the enemy. He raised his hand, aimed at Pei Jindan's leg, and pulled the trigger without hesitation.

With a soft "thud," the bullet struck Pei Jindan's knee, causing him to scream in pain.

The knife in his hand fell to the ground, and he fell heavily to the ground, rolling on the ground clutching his leg, his face as pale as paper.

"Nian'an! Are you alright?" Shen Qingtang rushed over immediately upon hearing the commotion.

Seeing Pei Jindan groaning on the ground, and then looking at Pei Nian'an who was protecting Jenny and whose eyes were still tense.

He quickly knelt down to check if he was injured.

Pei Nian'an shook her head, gripped Jenny's hand tightly, and whispered, "Mother, am I very fierce? Will Jenny think I'm wicked?"

No sooner had he finished speaking than Uncle Pei and Madam Qin rushed over like madmen. When they saw Pei Jindan crying in pain on the ground, their eyes turned red.

Pei Jindan was their only grandson, whom they cherished dearly. Now that he had been beaten like this, they couldn't care less about anything else.