Farming boy with a magic ring

"Ms. Zoe, I got this eggplant first. Why did you take it from me?"

A plate of chicken and a plate of eggplant were soon gone, and the last piece of eggplant was snatched up by Lily's tiny hand — only for Zoe to swipe it halfway. The cute little girl pouted, her mouth still full of meat, and gave Zoe a pitiful look.

"Good girl, this is for your own good. Look at you — you're already so chubby. This sister is just worried you'll have a hard time getting married if you keep eating like this." Zoe teased with a grin.

"Oh…" Lily replied weakly, but instead of sulking, she grabbed the empty chicken bowl and slurped up the soup like a greedy little kitten.

"Seriously? Can't we just ask Ethan to cook a few more dishes?" Wendy sighed. "Wait, where is Ethan?"

The girls turned their heads, only to realize Ethan was gone.

Just as they were about to call out, the sound of stir-frying vegetables and a mouthwatering aroma drifted from the kitchen. The four beauties immediately squealed with excitement and rushed in like bees to honey.

"Ethan! Ethan! What delicious food are you cooking now?" Zoe barged in first, dragging the other girls behind her.

"Oh, just a mushroom beer duck, some fried prawns, Kung Pao chicken, and vegetable dry silk. That should be enough, right?" Ethan replied casually as he worked his magic over the stove.

"Only four dishes? Not enough!" Zoe pouted, scanning the kitchen. "Do you have any fish? I love braised fish."

"Yeah, I've got some." Ethan opened the fridge and pretended to pull out a fresh fish, secretly summoning it from his Ring Space.

"Wow, it's still alive! Did you just catch this?"

"Yeah, just now," Ethan replied smoothly.

"Brother Ethan, I love braised pork," Lily chimed in, her big eyes full of longing.

"Okay, I'll make some later." Ethan chuckled, glancing at the four girls crowding the kitchen like curious kittens.

"Hey, there's nothing interesting about watching me cook. You should go relax in the living room."

"No way!" Zoe grinned, pulling out her phone. "We're documenting this for WeChat. Let the guys drool over your cooking skills and get super jealous."

One by one, the girls whipped out their phones, capturing every step of Ethan's cooking. As Zoe narrated the process dramatically, Ethan sighed, black lines forming across his forehead.

"Brother Ethan, they say men who cook are the most attractive. Honestly… you're kinda handsome. Can I be your girlfriend?" Lily teased, batting her lashes.

"Hey! I saw him first!" Zoe huffed, crossing her arms. "If anyone's going to be his girlfriend, it should be me!"

Ethan laughed awkwardly, brushing off their playful banter. These girls were clearly out of his league — their luxury cars alone were worth more than his entire village. Besides, he wasn't really into the clubbing types.

"Here, the prawns are ready. Take them to the living room and dig in while I finish the rest."

But instead of leaving, the girls dove right in, eating straight from the plate in the kitchen. Dish after dish disappeared as quickly as Ethan could make them, until finally, by the fifth dish, the girls had stuffed themselves to the brim.

When Ethan brought out the braised pork Lily had been craving, the girls could only gaze longingly at the dish, clutching their swollen bellies.

"You're not eating? I'll help myself, then." Ethan plopped down in the living room with a bowl of rice and started digging in.

Lily, sprawled on the sofa, hugged her round tummy and twisted around like a stuffed panda. "Brother Ethan… save some for me… I love braised pork… Burp!"

"You've eaten enough for today. Eat any more and you'll pop." Zoe teased, but the burp that escaped her lips betrayed her own gluttony. Her face turned red.

"Ms. Zoe, looks like you overate too." Lily giggled, poking her friend's side.

"W-What do you mean? That burp wasn't from eating — it was from anger!" Zoe huffed.

"Oh, then my round belly must be from anger too," Lily teased, earning a coughing fit from Ethan.

"You brat! I'll tear your mouth apart!" Zoe pounced on Lily, tugging at her chubby cheeks like she was playing with a plush toy. Lily fought back with relentless tickles, sending both girls into a giggling frenzy.

Ethan quietly focused on his food. Sure, the girls were gorgeous, but he wasn't the type to chase after pretty faces. To him, if a girl wasn't his type, no amount of beauty would change that.

Suddenly, loud whoops echoed from the backyard.

"Boss! Boss! Where did all these luxury cars come from? Ferrari? Bentley? Porsche? Lamborghini?! Awooo!" Henry's voice rang out, filled with disbelief.

Ethan sighed, setting his chopsticks down. "Just a few friends I partnered with to sell vegetables."

"Partnered? Where'd you get the money for this?" Henry hurried inside, freezing when he saw the girls. "Oh, hello, ladies. I'm Henry Wang, General Manager of Golden Ring Corporation. Pleasure to meet you." He extended a hand to Wendy, who raised a brow but shook it politely.

"Oh, General Manager Wang? Nice to meet you." Wendy smiled, though a hint of mockery flickered across her face.

Ethan caught the expression and rolled his eyes. "Alright, enough bragging. There's no 'corporation.' It's just me and Henry selling veggies. Go eat before the food gets cold."

Henry pouted. "Boss, you're ruining my image…"

As the group laughed, Ethan sat back and watched. He might not have cared much for wealth or luxury, but at that moment, surrounded by laughter and good food, he realized he had something far more valuable.

And for now, that was enough.