I feigned indifference and buried my head in the crook of my arm, slumbering peacefully on the desk.

Upon awakening, I discovered a woman's coat draped over my shoulders.

Yvonne sat beside me with her chin cradled in her hand. A gentle smile played upon her lips as she watched me.

A few friends in the rear row snickered and whispered with amusement.

Yvonne, however, remained unfazed, allowing them their moment of mirth.

I was once again ensnared in confusion, unable to fathom her intentions.

The impending end of class loomed.

John approached Yvonne and furiously yelled, "Yvonne, we've been companions since childhood. Why forsake my company for that loser in the back row?"

I cared not for John's pursuit of Yvonne, but his vitriol was insufferable.

With a swift motion, I seized John's collar. "What the fuck did you just say?"

My friends converged and got ready to beat John.

John, undeterred, retorted with arrogance, "You idle in the back row, squandering your days without a thought for study. Are you not losers?

"If you hit me, I shall report it to the authorities, ensuring your expulsion!"

The specter of the impending college entrance examination loomed large, so none dared risk disciplinary action.

I restrained my friends, whose fists were poised, and simultaneously released John's collar.

John's pride swelled. "You lack even the courage to fight. You loser."

Yvonne moved with precision and landed a crisp slap on John's cheek.

Her action left me bewildered.

John, hand to his face, voiced his disbelief, "Yvonne, you slap me for a waste?"

Yvonne restrained her smile and retorted in an icy tone, "Andy is spirited, yet his character is sound, never stooping to slander.

"Those who cloak themselves in the guise of erudition casually hurl insults.

"Besides, the people sitting in the back row may not end up worse off than you in the future."

John, chastised and slapped, glared at me before storming off in indignation.

I was left in disbelief that Yvonne slapped John to defend me.

Upon reflection, I figured out the truth.

The Smith family, ensnared in debt, had sought a financial lifeline.

Her overtures to me were likely an attempt to secure my family's patronage for her kin.

I confronted her directly. "Yvonne, I am aware of your family's plight and their need for funds.

"If you seek alliance with my family, I shall not impede you. But you must stop your pursuit of me henceforth."

Thereafter, I beckoned my friends to the playground for respite.

Yvonne remained at her desk, her head bowed. No one knew what her thoughts were.

Upon reaching the playground, a friend inquired, "Andy, with such a beauty vying for your attention, are you truly unmoved?"

My heart was a tumult of emotions, yet I offered no reply.

In my previous life, my union with Yvonne had cast a pall over her, whose grades faltered. Her dreams of enrolling in a prestigious university were dashed.

This burden had weighed heavily upon her.

To unite with her now would only lead us both to lives unfulfilled, devoid of joy.

With this in mind, I dialed my father.

I sought his aid in assisting the Smith family, to foster a partnership that would spare me further entanglement with Yvonne.

To my astonishment, my father was perplexed. "Son, what are you talking about?

"The Smith family's crisis was self-resolved two weeks ago. Our family played no part.

"It is said that it was your wife-to-be who devised the strategy and steered them to safety..."

I hung up the phone. My mind was a whirl of confusion.

The wife-to-be my father alluded to was none other than Yvonne.

How could she possess the acumen to navigate such a corporate tempest?

Having resolved her own crisis, why did she still seek me out?

Abruptly, a hand descended upon my shoulder.

I spun around and met John, whose expression betrayed his resentment.

"Andy, Yvonne is mine. Keep your distance from her henceforth!"

I was rendered momentarily speechless. "With which eye did you witness me drawing near to her?"

From our first encounter to the present, it had been Yvonne who persistently approached me.

Yet, her motives remained an enigma to me.

A friend intervened, shoving John aside. "Do you want me to beat your fucking ass?"

I had no desire to engage in conflict with a fool like John, so I led my companions away.

Before my departure, John warned me, "Stay away from Yvonne in the future!"

Shortly, a contingent from beyond the school's gates descended upon the playground, arranging heart-shaped candles in its center.

Clutching a bouquet, John stood amidst the candles as he shouted Yvonne's name.

The crowd rallied, their voices joining his in a chorus.

Amidst the cacophony, Yvonne descended the stairs, joining John at the epicenter of the candles.

I stood at a distance and felt a bitter taste in my heart.

Memories of my romantic moments and marriage with Yvonne, including the tapestry of our decades together, flickered before me like a kaleidoscope.

At that moment, I desperately yearned to hear Yvonne say she loved me before my previous life's end.

Had she uttered those words, I would have surged forward without a second thought, wresting Yvonne from John's grasp!

Instead, I was left to witness her with another man.

In the distance, Yvonne cast aside John's flowers and swept the candles aside in the crowd's stunned silence.

She lifted her white, ethereal gauze skirt and hastened towards me.

Yvonne tilted her head and smiled, "Do you not feel a pang when I accept flowers from another?"

I was stunned.

Might it be possible that Yvonne had intentionally prolonged the moment of accepting John's flowers to stir the embers of my irritation?

Dressed in white, Yvonne looked innocent and adorable. Her charm was irresistible to me.

My heart raced, and I averted my gaze to flee.

Yvonne swiftly caught up with me as her fingers lightly tugged at my sleeve. "Have you seen the bookmark I bestowed upon you?

"Do you fathom the meaning of 'Love remains forever'?"

I dared not meet her eyes, so I strode away and responded dismissively, "I am ignorant."

Yvonne yelled, "No, you know it!"

As we reached the stairs, Yvonne darted before me. Her hands were tender as she pressed me against the wall. Her manner was both flirtatious and commanding. Even her sly smile was endearingly captivating.

"Andy, do not delude yourself into thinking you alone have been reborn.

"In my past life, you married me.

"In this life, I shall accompany you forever.

"For all eternity, you shall be mine, and mine alone..."