沈清軒曾在心中仔細較量過，這蛇妖既能將垂危的他拉回人世，想來讓他能走能跳、大聲說話也非難事，再厚點面皮，討個康健長壽也未必討不來。
只是這話，難以啟齒。
說的直白些，他沈清軒平白無故往人家身上潑了一盞熱茶，雖在生死邊緣走了一圈，到底還是活過來了。儘管活過來的代價是護著這蛇渡劫——誰讓他命格旺盛，大富大貴。對方的說辭沈清軒並非不信，卻也難以全信。
截至眼前，一人一蛇的交易，還算公平。
他潑它一盞熱茶，它咬他一口，理所應當；它留他一命，他護它渡劫，更是買賣公正。
适才索要回禮，本是一句玩笑。卻也不得不承認夾帶了些貪婪心思，想從這蛇身上索要更多。
遇事為自己著想在先，原就是人的本性。到底沈清軒是讀書人，字句寫出來時，雖難抑期盼，也委實羞愧。
不料這妖如此直白，不待他說出口，將他心中所想應允了。
沈清軒低下頭，遲遲不動。
他面前白紙黑字，墨蹟未乾。
屋內流動的空氣中只聞沈清軒一人的呼吸聲，再無其他。
沈清軒無言以對，連案上白紙黑字似乎都不敢再多看一眼，只是垂著頭，臉上忽青忽白又忽紅。他雖二十有七，因命運多舛，比常人多些心思與見識，卻又怎能與修煉千年的老妖蛇相提並論。
蛇妖伊墨從頭至尾都隱去身形，此次見面連聲音都沒有發出，執著墨筆與他交談，洞若觀火。
若論心思，沈清軒不過是顆剛出芽的小小種子，他卻早已遮天蔽日。
茶水已涼透。
沈清軒終於抬起頭來，望著前方虛空處沉默良久，方才緩緩執筆，一字一字于那端正字跡旁寫道：
多謝。
他此刻也只寫得出這兩個字來，再多的話都說不清他的心情，多一字便是累贅。
稍後那只被他人操縱的狼毫筆自發進了筆洗。沈清軒定定看著，知道這次的談話結束，伊墨要走了。
果然眨眼工夫，屋中那些清冽氣息，慢慢散了。
沈清軒一人癡坐片刻，才伸手拾起桌上那些散亂紙張，一張張照著他們談話先後疊放整齊，又仔細梳理一遍才放在膝上，搖著木輪移動到床邊，將那些紙頁小心翼翼的收進木匣，又落了鎖，鑰匙貼身收好。
院中杏花開完又敗。
桃花的骨朵兒一粒粒冒出來，只兩天的功夫，豔陽一照，就急不可待的綻開了。
沈清軒重新坐回陽光裡，滿院輕而薄的花朵，燦若雲霞，他在桃花樹下麵帶笑容。
他身上厚重大氅已叫人收起，只披著件斗篷，棉襖也褪下，穿了件月牙色的長袍。
僕人們緊張地在園中巡視，犄角旮旯處都不放過，深怕哪裡再冒出一條蛇來，毀了他們的世態安穩。
沈清軒對這些都不甚在意，只仰頭看著枝椏上的豔麗桃花。偶有微風吹過，那些輕薄花瓣稀稀落下，灑在他臉上，他的笑容就更深些。
桃花剛敗，爬滿籬柵的薔薇又爭先恐後的結出了骨朵兒，似是深怕辜負了這個春天，沈清軒依然叫人推著木輪椅，要坐在薔薇身旁。
他的要求直把小廝唬地驚叫：“少爺，這使不得，使不得！”
那花爬著籬柵生長，葉子密密匝匝，仿佛密不透風的一堵綠牆，天曉得裡面會藏些什麼鬼東西。
可他不過是小廝，奈何不了主家。見勸阻無效，連忙取了些雄黃粉來灑在沈清軒周圍，以驅蟲蛇，沈清軒莫可奈何，由著他把花香同雄黃味攪在一起，弄得糟糕。
沈清軒的日子，就在這更迭的花期裡緩緩消磨。
許是之前伊墨為他清理蛇毒時做了什麼術法，他身體到比以前好些，不再輕易傷風流涕。
只是依舊虛弱，院中呆的時間久了，精神疲乏。
自小服侍他的僕人養成一雙尖利的眼，只要沈清軒神色稍露倦怠，就推著他回屋，奉上參茶。
隔上一段時間，伊墨也會出現一回。
照舊是隱著身形，不發一言，執筆與他在紙張上對話清談。
偶爾沈清軒會備上一桌酒菜，擺在屋中。每逢此時，他露出邀請的意味，伊墨也會如約而至。
雖不曾早早約定，卻也從未出過差錯。
只是沈清軒從未見過他的面，至今都不清楚，這個寡言淡漠的蛇妖，長得如何模樣。
有時也會不含惡意的猜測，是否面容醜陋，所以不肯現形。
每每這個想法剛剛冒出就被他自己掐滅了，伊墨是蛇，且是妖。就算本身極醜，也可輕易化出一個好皮相來。
這晚沐浴過後，沈清軒擺開紙筆，坐在桌前等著。
時日久了，他也摸出些伊墨的規律來，他每隔半月去一次山頂溫泉，從溫泉下來，途徑別院，伊墨都會順路過來略坐片刻——雖然沈清軒一直也不知道，他是否坐著與他交換筆墨的。
一切都是他的猜想。
今夜又是蛇妖去溫泉的日子，沈清軒在等。
等待的閒暇沈清軒取書來讀，近日山莊上下都知道，自家少爺性情突變，喜好大改，棄了那些古書典籍，專找些偏門左道的書冊看。什麼夜談、怪談、亂談等，盡是些狐仙花鬼，蛇蟲虎狼幻化成人的故事，更有那些市井流傳的玄之又玄的傳說，也一併找來，天天捧讀。
叫人摸不著頭腦。
沈清軒雖對那些書籍裡的故事不以為然，但覺得市井筆墨粗俗卻有趣，也就這麼一路看下來了。
伊墨到時，沈清軒正捧著書掩面無聲的笑。他笑的是那書中一首打油詩，寫得粗鄙，又叫人忍俊不住。
聞得熟悉氣息，沈清軒方才放下書冊，提筆道：
你來了。
三字旁很快落下一字：
是。
沈清軒又寫：
近日雜亂看了些書。
伊墨寫：
知道。
沈清軒想了一會寫道：
那書中所述之事，是真是假。
伊墨回答：
半真半假。
沈清軒一愣，連忙寫道：
果然。
頃刻突然微微一笑，沈清軒揶揄著繼續寫：
那書中精怪有善有惡，不知伊公子是善是惡。
他實在是隨意一筆，收筆時方才察覺自己唐突，雖兩人逐漸熟悉，卻也不過是皮毛，相識至今他甚至未曾與這蛇妖謀面，其餘事蹟更是從來不曾詢問過。
他們畢竟是一人一妖，雖字跡往來頗為頻繁，卻也是些流於表面的交談。
沈清軒心中忐忑，自知問得唐突且過分，若是伊墨翻臉就此走人，他也無話可說。
這蛇妖救他，許他承諾。他竟問人家，你是善是惡？
好不糊塗！
沈清軒想到他一氣之下興許再也不來，心中一時說不清是什麼滋味。
這深夜孤山，亮堂小屋、紙張沙沙、墨香流連的氣氛，杯盞無聲交錯、字跡淺淺相臨的交談，或因他一個荒誕的提問，從此煙消雲散。
竟是不舍。
沈清軒僵在那處，目光看著並無人影的前方，毫無動彈。
看似漫長，實則極短的時間，但見那墨筆又懸空而起，在他那清雋小楷旁緩緩寫道：
善惡鑒別，以何為准。
沈清軒失了顏色的臉上，瞬間恢復了血色，欣喜他不惱自己。
只是看著那墨蹟，很快眉尖蹙起。他叫這輕描淡寫的八個字，問得啞口無言。
思索片刻，沈清軒寫道：
我不知曉，你又是如何分辨。
那筆尖遲疑了下，又是緩緩落下，這一回只有六個字，上書：
待我好，便是善。
沈清軒望著那六個字，久久不能回神。
沉默良久，沈清軒執起筆，又寫道：
若是先時待我不好，欺我、害我；後又回轉心意，憐我、愛我，又將如何。
伊墨很快在他字跡旁添道：
欺她、害她，再憐她、愛她。
沈清軒咬了咬唇，又在那行字旁寫上“睚眥必報”四字，挑起眉似笑非笑地瞅著身邊那處空白地方。
這一回紙筆交談的時間比以往要長，沈清軒精神不濟，只是心中不舍，強撐直到夜半時分，才收了紙筆，頭挨著枕便陷入夢裡，第二天晌午方才蘇醒。
喝了些參湯，他重新做回陽光下消磨光陰的沈大少爺。目光靜靜望著不遠處火紅的石榴花，心中卻並不平靜的想像著來年這個時節，他可與這對他有恩的“善良”蛇妖，在這滿樹紅豔的榴花下，把酒言歡。
只需再有一年。
離伊墨的天劫還有一年時光。
——與我好，便是善。
多麼簡單。
沈清軒挽起唇角，露出的笑容清清淨淨，暖如春風。
————————————————
Shen Qingxuan had carefully weighed this up in his mind: since this snake demon was able to pull him back to the world when he was dying, it should not be difficult for him to be able to walk, jump, and speak loudly. If he was a little thicker-skinned, he might be able to get him good health and a long life.
It’s just that it’s hard to say this.
To put it bluntly, Shen Qingxuan poured hot tea on someone for no reason. Although he walked around the brink of life and death, he survived in the end. Although the price of survival was to protect the snake through the tribulation – who made him have a strong destiny and be rich and powerful. Shen Qingxuan did not disbelieve the other party’s words, but it was difficult to believe them completely.
So far, the transaction between one man and one snake is fair.
He poured a cup of hot tea on it, and it bit him, which was reasonable; it spared his life, and he protected it from disaster , which was even more of a fair transaction.
The request for a return gift was originally a joke, but I have to admit that I was greedy and wanted to get more from the snake .
It is human nature to think about oneself first. After all, Shen Qingxuan is a scholar, and when he wrote the words, although he could not suppress his expectation, he was also ashamed.
Unexpectedly, the demon was so straightforward that it agreed to what he was thinking without waiting for him to speak.
Shen Qingxuan lowered his head and did not move.
There was black writing on a piece of paper in front of him, the ink not yet dry.
The only sound in the air flowing in the room was Shen Qingxuan’s breathing, nothing else.
Shen Qingxuan was speechless, and he didn’t even dare to look at the words on the table. He just lowered his head, his face suddenly blue, white, and red. Although he was twenty-seven years old, due to his unfortunate fate, he had more thoughts and experience than ordinary people, but how could he be compared with the old demon snake who had practiced for thousands of years .
The snake demon Yi Mo hid his figure from beginning to end, and did not even make a sound when they met this time. He held the ink pen and talked with him, and he knew everything.
In terms of thoughts, Shen Qingxuan is just a small seed that has just sprouted, but he has already blocked out the sky and the sun.
The tea has gone cold.
Shen Qingxuan finally raised his head and stared at the empty space in front of him in silence for a long time. Then he slowly picked up the pen and wrote word by word next to the neat handwriting:
Thank you.
At this moment, he could only write these two words. No matter how many words he used, they could not express his feelings. One more word would be a burden.
Later, the wolf-hair brush that was being manipulated by someone else went into the brush washer on its own. Shen Qingxuan watched intently , knowing that this conversation was over and Yi Mo was leaving.
Sure enough, in the blink of an eye, the fresh air in the room slowly dissipated.
Shen Qingxuan sat alone in a daze for a while before he reached out to pick up the scattered papers on the table, folded them neatly one by one according to their conversation, and carefully sorted them out before placing them on his knees. He moved to the bedside on the wooden wheels, carefully put the papers into the wooden box, locked it, and kept the key close to his body.
The apricot blossoms in the yard bloomed and then faded.
The peach blossom buds appeared one by one, and in just two days, they bloomed impatiently under the bright sunshine.
Shen Qingxuan sat back in the sunshine. The yard was filled with thin, light flowers, as bright as clouds. He smiled under the peach tree.
His heavy cloak had been taken away, and he was only wearing a cape. He also took off his cotton jacket and put on a crescent-colored robe.
The servants patrolled the garden nervously, checking every corner and crevices, fearing that another snake might pop out from somewhere and ruin their peaceful life.
Shen Qingxuan didn’t care much about these, he just looked up at the gorgeous peach blossoms on the branches. Occasionally a breeze blew, and those light petals fell sparsely and sprinkled on his face, and his smile deepened.
The peach blossoms had just faded, and the roses climbing all over the fences were scrambling to produce buds. As if afraid of wasting this spring, Shen Qingxuan still asked someone to push a wooden wheelchair so that he could sit next to the roses.
His request frightened the servant to the point of shouting , “Master, you can’t do this! You can’t do this!"
The flower grew along the fence, its leaves densely packed together, like an impenetrable green wall. God knew what sort of ghosts might be hidden inside.
But he was just a servant and could do nothing to his master. Seeing that his persuasion was ineffective, he quickly took some realgar powder and sprinkled it around Shen Qingxuan to drive away insects and snakes. Shen Qingxuan had no choice but to let him mix the flower fragrance with the realgar smell, making it worse.
Shen Qingxuan’s days slowly passed in the changing flower seasons.
Maybe it was because of some magic that Yi Mo used to clean the snake venom for him, his health was better than before and he no longer caught a cold and had a runny nose easily.
But he was still weak and mentally exhausted after staying in the hospital for so long.
The servant who had served him since childhood developed a pair of sharp eyes. As long as Shen Qingxuan looked a little tired, he would push him back to the house and serve him ginseng tea.
Once in a while, Yi Mo would appear.
As usual, he kept his figure hidden , said nothing, and had a conversation with him on the paper with the pen in his hand.
Occasionally, Shen Qingxuan would prepare a table of food and wine and place it in the house. Whenever this happened, he would show his invitation, and Yi Mo would come as promised.
Although we had not made an early agreement, nothing had ever gone wrong.
However, Shen Qingxuan had never seen him, and still had no idea what this taciturn and indifferent snake demon looked like.
Sometimes, people would speculate without any malicious intent that someone is unwilling to show up because of his ugly face.
Every time this thought just popped up, he would extinguish it himself. Yi Mo was a snake, and a demon. Even if he was extremely ugly, he could easily change his appearance into a good one.
After taking a bath that night, Shen Qingxuan spread out paper and pen and sat at the table waiting.
As time went by, he also figured out some of Yi Mo ‘s patterns. He went to the mountaintop hot spring once every half a month. When he came down from the hot spring and passed by the villa, Yi Mo would stop by and sit for a while – although Shen Qingxuan never knew whether he sat down to exchange writings with him.
It’s all his guess.
Tonight is the day when the snake demon goes to the hot spring , and Shen Qingxuan is waiting.
While waiting, Shen Qingxuan took out some books to read. Recently, everyone in the villa knew that their young master had suddenly changed his temperament and preferences. He abandoned those ancient books and only looked for some unconventional books to read. There were all kinds of night talks, strange talks, and random talks, all of which were stories about fox fairies, flowers and ghosts, snakes, insects, tigers and wolves transforming into humans, and those mysterious legends circulating in the market, which he also found and read every day.
It’s really confusing.
Although Shen Qingxuan did not agree with the stories in those books, he felt that the vulgar writing was crude but interesting, so he just read them all.
When Yi Mo arrived, Shen Qingxuan was holding a book and laughing silently. He was laughing at a doggerel in the book, which was written in a vulgar way, but also made people laugh.
Smelling a familiar breath, Shen Qingxuan put down the book and picked up the pen and said:
You are here.
The next word quickly fell beside the three characters:
yes.
Shen Qingxuan also wrote:
I have been reading some books randomly recently .
Yimo wrote:
Know.
Shen Qingxuan thought for a while and wrote:
Are the things described in that book true or false?
Yimo replied:
Half true, half false.
Shen Qingxuan was stunned and quickly wrote:
really.
Suddenly he smiled slightly, and Shen Qingxuan continued to write teasingly :
There are both good and evil monsters in that book. I don’t know whether Master Yi is good or evil.
He was really just writing casually, and only realized how abrupt he was when he finished writing. Although the two of them gradually became familiar with each other, they were only superficially familiar with each other. Since they met, he had never even met the snake demon in person, and he had never asked about its other deeds.
After all, they were one man and one demon, and although they exchanged letters quite frequently, their conversations were superficial.
Shen Qingxuan was nervous, knowing that his question was abrupt and excessive. If Yi Mo turned hostile and left, he would have nothing to say.
This snake demon saved him and made him a promise. He actually asked him, “Are you good or evil?"
How confused!
Shen Qingxuan couldn’t describe the feeling in his heart when he thought that he might never come again in a fit of anger.
In the lonely mountain late at night, the bright little house, the rustling of papers, the lingering atmosphere of ink, the silent clinking of cups and the conversation with faint handwriting, all disappeared because of his absurd question.
I was actually reluctant to leave.
Shen Qingxuan froze there, staring ahead at a figureless figure, without moving a muscle.
It seemed like a long time, but it was actually very short. The ink pen was suspended in the air again, and it slowly wrote next to his elegant small characters:
What is the standard for distinguishing good from evil?
The color on Shen Qingxuan’s pale face instantly returned to normal, and he was happy that he was not angry with him.
Just looking at the ink, his eyebrows soon frowned. He was speechless after hearing these eight words.
After thinking for a moment, Shen Qingxuan wrote:
I don’t know how you can tell.
The pen tip hesitated for a moment, then slowly dropped again. This time, there were only six words, writing:
Treating me well is kindness.
Shen Qingxuan stared at those six words for a long time, unable to come back to his senses.
After a long silence, Shen Qingxuan picked up the pen and wrote:
if he treated me badly at first, bullied me, and harmed me, and then changed his mind, pitied me, and loved me, then what would happen?
Yi Mo quickly added next to his handwriting :
Bully her, hurt her, then pity her and love her.
Shen Qingxuan bit his lip, and wrote the words “Revenge for every slight offense" next to the line of words. He raised his eyebrows and looked at the blank space beside him with a half-smile.
This time, the conversation with pen and paper lasted longer than usual. Shen Qingxuan was not in good spirits, but he was reluctant to give up. He forced himself to stay awake until midnight, then put down the pen and paper. He fell into a dream with his head against the pillow and did not wake up until noon the next day.
After drinking some ginseng soup, he became the young master Shen who spent his time in the sun again. He looked at the fiery red pomegranate flowers not far away, but his heart was not calm as he imagined that at this time next year, he would be able to drink and chat happily with the “kind" snake demon who had done him a favor under the tree full of red pomegranate flowers .
Just one more year.
before Yi Mo’s heavenly tribulation .
——Being good to me is kindness.
How simple.
Shen Qingxuan raised the corners of his lips, revealing a smile that was pure and warm like a spring breeze.
痕書站 