A Letter from Keanu Reeves Review
Danmei Web Novel Review: A Letter from Keanu Reeves by 清明谷雨
The Story
According to Chen Wan, there are rules to unrequited love. It has its own code of conduct and the most important rule is to “not disturb the other party”. As the son of a mistress of the Chen family Chen Wan’s life has not been easy. Now in his late 20's he’s working steadily and secretly to build his own business. He’s trying his best to get away from his prestigious but dysfunctional family.
He appears to be the perfect gentleman. He’s sociable and kind to those around him. He’s always willing to be the one organizing events for the rich young masters around him, but he has an obsession that he can’t get rid of. He has a one sided love of Zhao Shengge, an influential businessman that even politicians and other dignitaries line up to see.
Like an ordinary person crushing on a celebrity Chen Wan believes that his feelings will never be returned. He has no desire to pursue a relationship with the man. He intends to continue his unrequited love from the edges of Zhao Shengge’s life. Never daring to get too close or cross any lines. However, when the keenly observant Zhao Shengge starts taking notice of Chen Wan’s presence in his life will Chen Wan still be able to keep his distance?
Who’s it for?
The novel is set in a modern day high society. It involves the business world, but feels like a peek into the lives of the rich and famous. The focus is more on who’s wearing or driving what. Then there are bits of jargon, business deals and criminal activities related to the business thrown in.
The angst created by Chen wan’s unrequited love and his mental instability takes center stage. If you want a story with lots of pining where a supposedly unrequited love succeeds then you can try this one.
The Downsides
The characters spend more time drinking and attending events to flatter each other than anything else. When they’re not working they’re at relaxing events; gambling, shooting, bowling and playing various games. Some minor characters also have a habit of sending young men and women to accompany potential business partners. How casually gross.
I know nothing about business and have no interest in it so that part of the story didn’t appeal to me. The business sections where treated as something I needed to read through to get to the relationship. Unfortunately, I then realize that I didn’t like the relationship either. Lol.
The Romance
This story features two mentally scarred individuals and perhaps that makes them perfect for each other. Zhao Shengge grew up in a cold and rigid environment deprived of affection. This was done with the goal of turning him into the ideal businessman. It worked, but now he's cold and domineering in all aspects of his life.
Chen Wan’s over the top fixation on him and willingness to do whatever Zhao Shengge wants is exactly what the man prefers. The level of Chen Wan’s obsession would probably scare off an average person. Knowing that you’ve had a well-meaning stalker for years would normally be cause for concern, but Zhao Shengge is fine with it.
One thing that irked me was Zhao Shengge’s reaction when he learned that Chen Wan liked him. Before he found out about Chen wan’s feelings he was starting to have somewhat obsessive thoughts about Chen wan. Yet, when he realizes that Chen Wan as been interested in him for years he decides to play games. He asks Chen Wan to pursue him. You like him and want to be with him. He likes you and wants to be with you so why can’t you be straight forward? Why play mind games with someone who already has some mental issues and a deep sense of inferiority?
I don’t get it. I guess I’m not cut out for this much pining. They’re both around their 30’s so this behavior seemed silly and childish to me, but whatever works for them.
Final Thoughts
The novel is pretty short so it’s a quick and easy read. The reason I finished it was because I was curious about Chen Wan’s past connection to Zhao Shengge. I figured that there must be a reason why he was so obsessed and I wanted to know what it was. I got my answer eventually but found it wasn’t worth the wait.