瀟湘晨報
鄧炳強
2026-02-15 15:25:37
璃月港的喧囂，與這云霧繚繞的絕云間，仿佛是兩個(gè)截然不同的世界。一邊是人間煙火，市井的叫賣(mài)聲與熙攘的人群；另一邊，則是寂靜的山谷，冰雪覆蓋的崖壁，以及那抹遺世獨立的孤影——申鶴。她如同被冰封千萬(wàn)年的雪蓮，美麗卻疏離，高傲中帶著(zhù)一絲不易察覺(jué)的脆弱。
常人眼中，她便是那高不可攀的劍仙，是無(wú)情無(wú)欲的謫仙人。即便如此，命運的齒輪，總會(huì )在不經(jīng)意間，悄然轉動(dòng)。
那一日，天色有些陰沉，細密的雪花如同柳絮般，在空中飄蕩。申鶴正獨自在劍冢旁打坐，周遭萬(wàn)籟俱寂，只有風(fēng)雪在低語(yǔ)。她的心境，一向如同這片冰雪，平靜得沒(méi)有一絲波瀾。她早已習慣了孤獨，習慣了與世隔絕，也習慣了壓抑自己內心最真實(shí)的情感。自從與紅塵訣別，踏上斬斷塵緣的道路，她的生命仿佛就只剩下練劍與修行。
就在這時(shí)，一聲輕微的嘆息，如同羽毛般，輕輕落入她的耳畔。申鶴猛地睜開(kāi)眼，清冷的目光如同冰刃，瞬間掃向聲音的來(lái)源。只見(jiàn)不遠處，一位身著(zhù)淡紫色衣袍的身影，正倚著(zhù)一棵枯萎的桃樹(shù)，靜靜地望著(zhù)她。那身影看起來(lái)有些疲憊，但眼神中卻流淌著(zhù)一種她從未見(jiàn)過(guò)的溫柔，如同初春的暖陽(yáng)，試圖融化她心中堅冰。
“是你？”申鶴的聲音依舊清冷，但那雙琥珀色的眼眸中，卻閃過(guò)一絲不易察覺(jué)的驚訝。來(lái)人正是那位曾與她有過(guò)一面之緣的神秘劍客，一位同樣身披劍道榮光，卻又帶著(zhù)幾分凡塵氣息的男子。
男子輕輕一笑，那笑容如同寒冬里的一抹亮色，瞬間驅散了周?chē)氖捝??！懊懊链驍_，實(shí)乃有緣。方才見(jiàn)你打坐，氣息清絕，想來(lái)定是位劍道高人，故忍不住前來(lái)一觀(guān)?！彼穆曇舻统炼挥写判?，仿佛帶著(zhù)某種魔力，讓申鶴緊繃的神經(jīng)，竟不自覺(jué)地放松了幾分。
“不過(guò)是些尋常的??修行罷了?！鄙犏Q淡淡地說(shuō)道，心中卻泛起一絲漣漪。她很少與人交流，更遑論這樣直接而坦率的贊美。這位男子，為何會(huì )出現在此？為何他的眼神，會(huì )讓她感到一絲莫名的悸動(dòng)？
男子并未在意申鶴的疏離，他緩步走到??申鶴面前，遞上一方潔白的手帕?！耙宦凤L(fēng)雪，想必有些寒意。此物，或許能稍稍驅寒?！?/p>
申鶴看著(zhù)那方手帕，上面繡著(zhù)一株盛開(kāi)的蓮花，潔白無(wú)瑕，如同雪蓮一般。她猶豫了片刻，最終還是接了過(guò)來(lái)。指尖傳來(lái)的溫熱，讓她心中那層薄薄??的冰霜，仿佛出現了一道細微的裂痕。
男子見(jiàn)狀，眼中閃過(guò)一絲欣慰，他點(diǎn)了點(diǎn)頭，然后指著(zhù)遠方的??一片雪景，輕聲說(shuō)道：“你看那雪，雖然寒冷，卻也潔凈。如同人心，看似冰冷，實(shí)則自有溫熱之處，只是尚未被喚醒罷了?！?/p>
這番話(huà)，如同一顆石子，投入申鶴平靜的心湖，激起了層層漣漪。她從未想過(guò)，有人會(huì )如此解讀雪，如此解讀人心。她一直認為，自己的心早已被冰封，再也無(wú)法感受到任何溫度?？裳矍斑@個(gè)男人，卻仿佛能看穿??她的偽裝，直抵她內心深處。
“你……為何如此說(shuō)？”申鶴的聲音帶著(zhù)一絲不易察覺(jué)的??顫抖。
男子望著(zhù)申鶴，眼中閃爍著(zhù)理解的光芒?！耙驗椤乙苍羞^(guò)冰封的心。直到我遇到了……一個(gè)很重要的人?！彼D了頓，目光變得深邃，“那個(gè)人，教會(huì )了我，即使身處??冰天雪地，心中也能開(kāi)出最美的花?！?/p>
申鶴的心，猛地一跳。她感覺(jué)自己的臉頰，在一瞬間變得滾燙，仿佛被投入了烈火。她下意識地偏過(guò)頭，不敢與男子的目光對視。她能清晰地感受到，有什么東西，正在她內心深處悄然蘇醒，那是一種她從未體驗過(guò)的，陌生而又強烈的感情。
她能感覺(jué)到，自己的呼吸變得有些急促，嘴唇也微微張開(kāi)，仿佛想要說(shuō)什么，卻又說(shuō)不出口。一陣眩暈感襲來(lái)，她甚至覺(jué)得眼眶有些濕潤，淚水仿佛即將涌出。她緊緊地咬著(zhù)下唇，努力克制著(zhù)這種突如其來(lái)的情緒。
“我……我還有事，先走了?！鄙犏Q的聲音帶著(zhù)一絲慌亂，她甚至不敢再看男子一眼，轉身便施展輕功，身影瞬間消失在漫天雪花之中。
身后，男子望著(zhù)申鶴倉??皇逃離的背影，眼中閃過(guò)一絲了然的笑意。他知道，那冰封了千萬(wàn)年的心，終于有了一絲裂縫。而那抹不經(jīng)意間泛起的紅暈，那含在眼眶中的??淚光，都預示著(zhù)，一段不同尋常的緣分，已經(jīng)悄然開(kāi)始。
申鶴fastidiouslyescaped,herheartpoundinglikeawardrumagainstherribs.Thebitingwindandswirlingsnowdidlittletocooltheheatthathadsuddenlybloomedonhercheeks.SheflewthroughthefamiliarpeaksandvalleysofMt.Aocang,hermovementsswiftandprecise,yethermindwasinutterdisarray.Neverhadshefeltsuchabewilderingrushofemotions.Theman’swords,hisgentlegaze,thelingeringwarmthofthehandkerchief–theyhadallconspiredtoawakensomethingdeepwithinher,somethingshehadlongburiedanddesperatelytriedtoforget.
Shefoundherselfseekingrefugeinasecludedcave,theentrancehiddenbehindacascadeoffrozenwater.Inside,thesilencewasawelcomebalm,butitcouldn'tentirelyquelltheturmoilwithinher.Shesankontoapatchofmoss-coveredrock,herbreathcominginraggedgasps.Shedaredtoglanceatthehandkerchiefinherhand.Theembroideredlotus,sodelicateandpure,seemedtomockhercurrentstateofflusteredagitation.
Asingletear,unbidden,escapedthecornerofhereyeandtracedawarmpathdownhercoldcheek.Itwasn'tatearofsadness,norofpain.Itwasatearof…confusion?Oflonging?Ofanascent,unfamiliarjoy?Sheblinked,andsuddenly,theworldseemedtoshimmerthroughawateryhaze.Sheraisedatremblinghandtoherface,herfingersbrushingagainstherdampskin.Thesensationwasalmostelectric.
Hermindraced,replayingtheencounteroverandover.Hissmile,sogenuine.Hiswords,soinsightful.Hehadspokenofa"veryimportantperson"whohadtaughthimaboutwarmth,aboutthepossibilityofabloomingflowerinaworldofice.Couldhebereferringto…h(huán)er?Thethoughtsentanotherwaveofheatthroughher,makinghereyeswaterevenmore.Shefeltastrangeurgetolaughandcryatthesametime,asensationsoforeignandoverwhelmingthatitmadeherheadspin.
Shesqueezedhereyesshut,tryingtoregainhercomposure.Hertraininghadtaughthertosuppressallemotions,tobecomeapurevesselofthesword.Butthisman,withhisquietpresenceandgentlewords,hadmanagedtochipawayatherdefenseswithaneasethatwasbothterrifyingand…exhilarating.Shehadalwaysbelievedherselftobebeyondsuchmundanefeelingsasaffectionordesire.ShewasadiscipleoftheCloudRetainer,abeingdestinedforalifeofsolitudeanddetachment.Yet,hereshewas,herheartflutteringlikeatrappedbird,hervisionblurredbytearsofanemotionshecouldn'tyetname.
Thememoryofhisgaze,sounderstandingandkind,returnedtoher.Itwasn'tpity,norwasitjudgment.Itwas…acceptance.Forthefirsttimeinaverylongtime,shefeltseen,trulyseen,notastheice-coldassassin,butassomethingmore,somethingthathadthepotentialforwarmth.Sheopenedhereyesagain,thetearsstillpresent,butnowwithadifferentquality.Theyseemedtocarryafaint,iridescentglow,reflectingthesliverofhopethathadbeguntodawnwithinher.
Shefoundherselftracingthepatternsonthehandkerchiefagain.Thelotus.Itwasasymbolofpurity,ofrebirth,ofrisingfromthemudunstained.Coulditbeametaphorforherownjourney?Hadthisencounterbeenasign,agentlenudgefromfate?Thethoughtwasbothdauntingandstrangelycomforting.
Asthehourspassed,theinitialpanicbegantosubside,replacedbyaquietcuriosity.Shefoundherselfreplayingnotjusthiswords,buthisverypresence.Thewayhestood,thewayhespoke,thesubtlekindnessinhiseyes.Eachmemorybroughtafaintblushbacktohercheeks,asubtlequickeningofherpulse.Thetearshadlongsincedried,butthefeelingofbeingonthecuspofsomethingprofoundremained.
Shelookedoutofthecaveentrance,thesnownowfallingmoregently.Theworldoutsidestilllookedcold,butsomehow,itfeltlessthreatening.Shethoughtoftheman,andasmall,almostimperceptiblesmiletouchedherlips.Perhaps,shemused,herheartwasn'tentirelyfrozenafterall.Perhaps,likethelotusonthehandkerchief,aseedofwarmthhadbeenplanted,waitingfortherightconditionstobloom.
Theideaofreturningtotheworld,ofseekingoutthismanagain,wasadauntingone.Itwentagainsteverythingshehadbeentaught,everythingshehadworkedsohardtoachieve.Butapartofher,anewlyawakenedpart,yearnedformore.Ityearnedforthewarmthhehadhintedat,forthepossibilityofaconnectionthattranscendedthecoldisolationofherexistence.
Shestoodup,hermovementslessfranticthanbefore.Thetearshadclearedhervision,bothliterallyandfiguratively.Shestillfelttheblushonhercheeks,thequickenedbeatofherheart,butnow,theywereaccompaniedbyasenseofwonderandanticipation.Shepocketedthehandkerchiefcarefully,atangiblereminderofthistransformativeencounter.Thepathaheadwasuncertain,fraughtwiththechallengesofherowninternalstrugglesandthecomplexitiesofthemortalworld.Butforthefirsttime,theprospectofventuringintothatworld,ofperhapsfindingthatelusivewarmth,didn'tseementirelyimpossible.Theicewasbeginningtomelt,andwithit,anewchapterinthelifeoftheswordimmortal,achapterfilledwiththesweet,confusing,andutterlycaptivatingbeginningsofaheartawakening.
