"Sit down, Feng'er," she said softly, her voice warm like always. "I'll make some tea. You look like you need it."
Lin Feng sat at the low wooden table, watching his mother move gracefully around the small kitchen area. Even in plain white robes, she looked beautiful — elegant and timeless. She poured hot water over the tea leaves with careful, practiced movements, the faint scent of herbs filling the room.
She brought two cups over and sat across from him, sliding one toward him with a gentle smile.
"Drink while it's hot," she said. "It helps calm the mind."
Lin Feng took the cup but didn't drink right away. He just held it, feeling the warmth seep into his palms.
Su Ling looked at him for a long moment, her eyes soft and full of that familiar motherly concern.
"Feng'er," she said quietly, "what is your current cultivation realm?"
Lin Feng paused, then answered honestly.
"Peak of Card Awakening Realm."
Su Ling nodded slowly, as if she had expected it.
"That's good progress for someone your age," she said gently. "Especially with fifteen cards. Most people with that many would still be struggling to make even one card obey them properly."
She took a small sip of her tea, then set the cup down.
"Your father… he was the same way when he was young," she continued, her voice turning softer, almost nostalgic. "He was a heroic figure, you know. Strong, talented, and kind in his own way. People respected him. Feared him too, sometimes. He had a presence that made everyone listen."
Lin Feng stayed silent, listening.
Su Ling smiled faintly, but there was a distant look in her eyes.
"He had his own ambitions. He wanted to rise above everyone else. He told me once that power was the only thing that mattered in this world. The only thing that could protect what you love."
She reached across the table and gently placed her hand over his.
"You remind me of him sometimes," she whispered. "That same fire in your eyes. That same quiet determination. But you must be careful, Feng'er. The world is cruel to those who rise too fast. Especially if they have secrets."
Lin Feng looked at her hand on his.
He felt the familiar pull again — that gentle warmth, that caring tone, that perfect way she could make him want to open up and tell her everything.
He gently pulled his hand back.
"Mother," he said quietly, "I'm being careful."
Su Ling's smile returned — soft, understanding, and somehow deeper than before.
"I know you are," she said. "You're my clever boy."
She stood up gracefully and walked over to the window, looking out at the quiet courtyard.
"Whatever you're planning," she added without turning around, "just remember… some things are worth waiting for. And some secrets… are better kept close."
Lin Feng watched her silhouette against the morning light.
That gentle smile.
That soft voice.
That hidden strength she never fully showed.
He felt a chill run down his spine again, but he pushed it down.
He stood up.
"I should go," he said. "They'll be looking for me soon."
Su Ling turned back to him, still smiling that same calm, beautiful smile.
"Go then," she said gently. "But come back when you need to talk. Mother is always here for you."
Lin Feng nodded once and walked toward the door.
As he stepped outside, he felt her eyes on his back — warm, caring… and something else he couldn't quite name.
______________________________________
After he left her courtyard, Su Ling stood alone by the window for a long time. Her gentle smile slowly faded, replaced by a thoughtful, almost calculating look.
She murmured softly to herself, voice barely above a whisper.
"I have to clean up his mess again…"
She sighed, fingers lightly tracing the edge of the teacup.
"Should I help him… or let him learn the hard way?"
Her lips curved into a faint, unreadable smile once more.
"My clever, dangerous boy…"
Su Ling left her small courtyard with unhurried steps, the gentle morning breeze stirring her long black hair. She looked every bit the elegant, forgotten beauty — simple white robes, calm expression, a soft smile playing on her lips as if she were merely taking a peaceful stroll through the garden.But the compound was anything but peaceful.
Servants stood frozen mid-step, trays balanced in their hands. Disciples were locked in place, mouths open in the middle of shouting. Elders had their arms raised, commands dying on their lips. Even the wind seemed to have stopped.
A single card had manifested high in the sky above the Lin family grounds.
It was beautiful and terrifying — a silver-white card with a delicate clock face drawn in the center, its hands frozen at exactly twelve. The word "Freeze" glowed faintly along the top edge in elegant script.
Everyone who saw it stopped what they were doing.
Completely.
Su Ling walked through the frozen crowd as if nothing was unusual. People stood like statues around her — some with fear etched on their faces, others with confusion, a few with anger still half-formed on their lips. She passed them all without a glance, her footsteps light on the stone path.
She raised her hand.
The card in the sky shimmered once, then descended gracefully, shrinking as it came down until it rested gently in her palm.
Su Ling looked at it with a soft, almost fond expression.
"Freeze," she murmured to herself. "Such a useful little thing."
She closed her fingers around the card, and it vanished into her sleeve.
For a brief moment, she stood still in the middle of the frozen courtyard, surrounded by dozens of motionless people.
Then she sighed quietly.
"My son is becoming quite the troublemaker," she whispered. "I suppose I should clean up after him… again."
She turned and continued walking, graceful and unhurried, as if the entire clan hadn't just been paused in time by her power.
Behind her, the frozen figures remained perfectly still.
No one moved.
No one breathed.
And Su Ling's gentle smile never left her face.