北青网
江惠仪
2026-02-07 20:56:20
璃月港的喧哗，与这云雾缭绕的绝云间，似乎是两个截然分歧的世界 。一壁是人间烟火，商人的叫卖声与熙攘的?人群；另一壁，则是肃静的山谷，冰?雪覆盖的崖壁，以及那抹遗世独立的孤影——申鹤 。她如同被冰封千万年的雪莲，俏丽却疏离，傲慢中带着一丝不易觉察的脆弱 。
常人眼中，她就是那高不成攀的剑仙，是无情无欲的谪神仙 。即便如此，命运的齿轮，总会在不经意间，悄然动弹 。
那一日，天色有些阴沉，细密的雪花如同柳絮般，在空中飘扬 。申鹤正单独由剑冢旁打坐，周遭万籁俱寂，只有风雪在低语 。她的表情，一贯如同这片冰雪，沉静得没有一丝波澜 。她早已习惯了落寞，习惯了与世断绝，也习惯了压抑自己内心最真实的感情 。自从与红尘永别，踏上斩断尘缘的路路，她的性命似乎就只剩下练剑与建行 。
就在这时，一声轻微的太息，如同羽毛般，轻轻落入她的耳畔 。申鹤猛地发展眼，清冷的眼光如同冰刃，瞬间扫向声音的起源 。只见不远处，一位身着淡紫色衣袍的身影，正倚着一棵枯萎的桃树，静静地望着她 。那身影看起来有些疲乏，但眼神中却流淌着一种她从未见过的温顺，如同初?春的暖阳，试图消融她心中坚冰 。
“是你？”申鹤的声音仍旧清冷，但那双琥珀色的眼眸中，却闪过一丝不易觉察的惊讶 。来人正是那位曾与她有过一面之缘的神秘�？�，一位同样身披剑路荣光，却又带着几分凡尘?气味的男子 。
男子轻轻一笑，那笑容如同隆冬里的一抹亮色，瞬间驱散了周围的萧瑟 。“唐突打搅，实乃有缘 。刚刚见你打坐，气味清绝，想来定是位剑路高人，故不由得前来一观 。”他的声音低落而富有磁性，似乎带着某种魔力，让申鹤紧绷的神经，竟不自觉地放松了几分 。
“不外是些寻常的?建行而已 。”申鹤淡淡地说路，心中却泛起一丝荡漾 。她很少与人互换，更遑论这样直接而婉转的夸赞 。这位男子，为何会呈此刻此？为何他的眼神，会让她感应一丝莫名的悸动？
男子并未在意申鹤的疏离，他徐行走到申鹤刻下，递上一方雪白的手帕 。“一路风雪，想必有些寒意 。此物，或许能稍稍驱寒 。”
申鹤看着那方手帕，上面绣着一株盛开的莲花，雪白无瑕，如同雪莲通常 。她犹豫了片刻，最终还是接了过来 。指尖传来的温热，让她心中那层薄薄的冰霜，似乎出?现了一路轻微的裂缝 。
男子见状，眼中闪过一丝快慰，他点了颔首，而后指着远处的一片雪景，轻声说路：“你看那雪，固然寒冷，却也干净 。如同人心，看似冰凉，实则自有温热之处，只是尚未被唤醒而已 。”
这番话，如统一颗石子，投入申鹤沉静的心湖，激发了层层荡漾 。她从未想过，有人会如此解读雪，如此解读人心 。她一向以为，自己的心早已被冰封，再也无法感触到任何温度 �？擅媲罢飧龊鹤�，却似乎能看穿她的假装，直抵她内心深处 。
“你……为何如此说？”申鹤的声音带着一丝不易觉察的战抖 。
男子望着申鹤，眼中闪动着理解的光线 。“由于……我也曾?有过冰封的心 。直到我遇到了……一个很沉要的人 。”他顿了顿，眼光变得深邃，“那幼我，教会了我，即便身处雪窖冰天，心中也能开出最美的花 。”
申鹤的?心，猛地一跳 。她感触自己的面颊，在一瞬间变得滚烫，似乎被投入了烈火 。她下意识地偏过甚，不敢与男子的眼光对视 。她能清澈地感触到，有什么器材，在她内心深处悄然复苏，那是一种她从未履历过的，陌生而又强烈的感情 。
她能感触到，自己的呼吸变得?有些急促，嘴唇也微微张开，似乎想要说什么，却又说不出口 。一阵眩晕感袭来，她甚至感触眼眶有些湿润，泪水似乎即将涌出 。她紧紧地咬着下唇，致力克造着这种突如其来的感情 。
“我……我还有事，先走了 。”申鹤的声音带着一丝慌乱，她甚至不敢再看男子一眼，转身便施展轻功，身影瞬间隐没在漫天雪花之中 。
身后，男子望着申鹤仓皇逃离的背影，眼中闪过一丝了然的笑意 。他知路，那冰封了千万年的心，终于有了一丝裂缝 。而那抹不?经意间泛起的红晕，那含在眼眶中的泪光，都预示着，一段分歧寻常的缘分，已经悄然起头 。
申鹤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…her?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.
