封面新聞
王寧
2026-02-24 15:06:54
璃月港的??喧囂，與這云霧繚繞的絕云間，仿佛是兩個截然不同的世界。一邊是人間煙火，市井的叫賣聲與熙攘的人群；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。她如同被冰封千萬年的雪蓮，美麗卻疏離，高傲中帶著一絲不易察覺的脆弱。
常??人眼中，她便是那高不可攀的劍仙，是無情無欲的謫仙人。即便如此??，命運(yùn)的齒輪，總會在不經(jīng)意間，悄然轉(zhuǎn)動。
那一日，天色有些陰沉，細(xì)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，周遭萬籟俱寂，只有風(fēng)雪在低語。她的心境，一向如同這片冰雪，平靜得沒有一絲波瀾。她早已習(xí)慣了孤獨，習(xí)慣了與世隔絕，也習(xí)慣了壓抑自己內(nèi)心最真實的情感。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，一聲輕微的嘆息，如同羽毛般，輕輕落入她的耳畔。申鶴猛地睜開眼，清冷的目光如同冰刃，瞬間掃向聲音的來源。只見不遠(yuǎn)處，一位身著淡紫色衣袍的??身影，正倚著一棵枯萎的桃樹，靜靜地望著她。那身影看起來有些疲憊，但眼神中卻流淌著一種她從未見過的溫柔，如同初??春的暖陽，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，卻閃過一絲不易察覺的驚訝。來人正是那位曾與她有過一面之緣的神秘劍客，一位同樣身披劍道榮光，卻又帶著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(qū)散了周圍的蕭瑟。“冒昧打擾，實乃有緣。方才見你打坐，氣息清絕，想來定是位劍道高人，故忍不住前來一觀。”他的聲音低沉而富有磁性，仿佛帶著某種魔力，讓申鶴緊繃的神經(jīng)，竟不自覺地放松了幾分。
“不過是些尋常的修行罷了。”申鶴淡淡地說道，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，為何會出現(xiàn)在此？為何他的眼神，會讓她感到一絲莫名的悸動？
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。“一路風(fēng)雪，想必有些寒意。此物，或許能稍稍驅(qū)寒。”
申鶴看著那方手帕，上面繡著一株盛開的蓮花，潔白無瑕，如同雪蓮一般。她猶豫了片刻，最終還是接了過來。指尖傳來的溫?zé)幔屗闹心菍颖”〉谋路鸪霈F(xiàn)了一道細(xì)微的裂痕。
男子見狀，眼中閃過一絲欣慰，他點了點頭，然后指著遠(yuǎn)方的一片雪景，輕聲說道：“你看那雪，雖然寒冷，卻也潔凈。如同人心，看似冰??冷，實則自有溫?zé)嶂帲皇巧形幢粏拘蚜T了。”
這番話，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，有人會如此??解讀雪，如此解讀人心。她一直認(rèn)為，自己的心早已被冰封，再也無法感受到任何溫度。可眼前這個男人，卻仿佛能看穿她的偽裝，直抵她內(nèi)心深處。
“你……為何如此說？”申鶴的聲音帶著一絲不易察覺的顫抖。
男子望著申鶴，眼中閃爍著理解的光芒。“因為……我也曾有過冰封的心。直到我遇到了……一個很重要的人。”他頓了頓，目光變得深邃，“那個人，教會了我，即使身處冰天雪地，心中也能開出??最美的花。”
申鶴的心，猛地一跳。她感覺自己的臉頰，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(nèi)心深處悄然蘇醒，那是一種她從未體驗過的，陌生而又強(qiáng)烈的感情。
她能感覺到，自己的呼吸變得有些急促，嘴唇也微微張開，仿佛想要說什么，卻又說不出口。一陣眩暈感襲來，她甚至覺得眼眶有些濕潤，淚水仿佛即將涌出。她緊緊地咬著下唇，努力克制著這種突如其來的情緒。
“我……我還有事，先走了。”申鶴的聲音帶著一絲慌亂，她甚至不敢再看男子一眼，轉(zhuǎn)身便施展輕功，身影瞬間消失在漫天雪花之中。
身后，男子望著申鶴倉皇逃離的背??影，眼中閃過一絲了然的笑意。他知道，那冰封了千萬年的心，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(yù)示著，一段不同尋常??的緣分，已經(jīng)悄然開始。
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.
