Whenever a story ends, there is always so much I hate to leave behind and so much I want to say from the heart. But when I start writing, I don't know what to say. So I'll just write whatever comes to mind. It might be a little rambling, so please bear with me.
I've seen quite a few readers say that the first and second halves of this story have different underlying messages. Little Meow would like to apologize to everyone here. I failed to bring them together properly, and I let you down.
I'm not much of an outliner. Basically, once I've decided on the theme I want to write about, settled on the protagonist, worked out her backstory, decided on the other important characters, and sorted out the timeline, I start writing as soon as I have that broad framework. (I'll pay more attention to this in the future and try harder to write outlines. (〒︿〒)
The theme of this story is redemption.
At first, I only planned to put some people in their place, poke fun at things, and get a little goofy-to write a lighthearted, happy story about redemption. But as the plot unfolded and I spent more time with the characters, the more deeply I thought about Tang Tang's experiences and changes across her ten lifetimes, the less I could tell her story in a lighthearted, happy way. Every moment of comeuppance was built on Tang Tang's suffering, and I couldn't bear it.
The divorce between Mom and Dad sparked a huge controversy. Some readers felt it was unfair that Dad had done nothing in this lifetime but still had to pay for his previous life. Others felt that Mom staying in touch with Dad after the divorce was an attempt to whitewash him.