Shiller's actions paused momentarily as he took a pen out of his suit pocket and twirled it lightly in his hand.
"He's feeling anxious," echoed Bruce's voice in the theater: "This pen is a psychological anchor he uses to remind himself of his professorial status, I've often seen it."
"When he reviewed your papers?"
"When he reviewed my papers." Bruce turned his head to speak to Hal, who had asked the question: "But in those days, one pen was not enough."
"If it's not too much trouble, Mr. March, could you please place your clothing in the wardrobe?" Shiller's tone was still mild, with no hint of impatience.
"I didn't see any wardrobes, where are they?" March turned his head to the door and asked.
Diana covered her forehead and sighed, "I absolutely don't mean to discriminate against the poor, but I think anyone with a bit of knowledge knows that wealthy families have a separate room for clothes and don't have a coat rack by the door like ordinary people."
"Usually a butler takes the guests' clothes to the cloakroom where there is a specific wardrobe for storing guests' clothes, usually on the left. If only the master is home, with his permission, they can fold the clean clothes neatly and put them over the back of a chair."
"Isn't that what March is doing?" Clark asked.
"The clothes should be clean and neatly folded, but more importantly, the host must agree." Bruce looked at Clark, aware that the boy from the small town lacked this knowledge. It had nothing to do with intelligence – he simply hadn't been exposed to this way of life and naturally didn't know how to act.
"In such interactions, it is very important for both parties to maintain a neat appearance. If the clothes are dirty or torn, the conversation should be ended immediately, apologies should be made to the other party, followed by a trip to the washroom. If the problem isn't resolved in a short time, the conversation may have to end for the day." Diana patiently explained.
"Oh." Clark made a sound of understanding, then pointed to the screen and said, "So when Shiller spilled red wine on his tie just now, he was actually trying to end this conversation on purpose?"
"Correct, that's the purpose of following etiquette. We don't have to rudely say to the other, 'I don't want to talk to you anymore, please leave immediately.' Instead, we can convey in a more roundabout way that we need a moment apart."
The several ordinary people present all nodded thoughtfully, while Bruce commenced: "This is how the upper class maintains their separation from the poor, by creating a set of etiquettes that the lower class can't conceive of, let alone access, to prevent those who bring no benefit to them from participating in their lives."
"Sounds quite wicked." Barry smirked.
Before Bruce spoke, Clark thoughtfully said, "It seems that every circle is like this. When my dad goes to farm meetings, his outfits and mannerisms are different from usual."
"He isn't really a rough countryman, he likes to keep up with international affairs, reads a lot, and even has a master's degree in agronomy. He respects my mom and considers her opinion in everything."
"But at gatherings, he behaves like the other men from long-established farming families – boisterous, slightly wild, chauvinistic, and likes to smack his lips, like this."
Clark made a strange face, prompting everyone to laugh. Jason rested his face in his hand and said, "It's not all bad, every gang should have some secret codes that others can't understand, even down to the look in their eyes and their expressions. Apart from being able to convey information at critical moments, it also gives us a sense of security, like having many 'insiders'."
"Guarding a secret is the best way to form alliances," Harley chimed in, "and following the same etiquette too."
"Clearly, Mr. March is not from this circle," Constantine shook his head, "He's not being purposely pretentious or intentionally preserving his persona, but rather he doesn't understand and is trying to fit in."
"Actually, in every circle, there are always individuals who are unique yet manage to fit in." Bruce looked at Constantine and said, "But there's a difference between being eccentric and being foolish. You have to be clever first, before you can be eccentric, otherwise you just seem strange, and exceptionally foolish."
"I was beginning to think the professor himself was here." Constantine smirked, and cast a mischievous look at Bruce, "Who was it just now getting teary over Shiller's emotional affairs?"
Bruce turned his head away, ignoring the teasing Constantine and refocused his attention back on the screen.
Shiller's gaze fell on the coat draped over the back of the chair. Dust and humidity on the coat weren't much of a problem, the leather of the chair wasn't particularly valuable, and the casually folded clothes weren't ugly. This action still fell within the category of acceptable boisterous behavior.
But the problem was that March had tossed his clothes onto a chair on one side, then sat down on another chair. As he sat alone on the single sofa, looking at his own clothes, the scene looked incredibly absurd.