RPAGF Is Chapter 138 praising me or subtly criticizing me?
Is Chapter 138 praising me or subtly criticizing me?
The two of them were locked in a stalemate, neither willing to back down an inch.
A few students had gathered around to watch the commotion. Some were taking out their phones to record videos, some were whispering to their friends while covering their mouths, and one boy was muttering, "What department are those two from? They're both pretty good-looking."
Shen Li was engrossed in watching when the bespectacled woman suddenly turned her head, her gaze sweeping across the onlookers like a knife before finally settling on Shen Li's face.
"you!"
She pointed at Shen Li, her bright red lips curling into a sneer, "You be the judge! A girl writhing around online, isn't that self-objectification?"
The pink-haired stunner also turned her head sharply, her wild eyes glaring at Shen Li: "Don't listen to her! It's my freedom to dance! What business is it of hers?"
Shen Li: "...???"
What the hell does this have to do with me?! I'm just passing by! I don't even know your names!
Before Shen Li could even wipe the look of amusement off her face, she froze on the spot like a cat caught red-handed.
The eyes of the onlookers all turned to him, and several mobile phone cameras followed suit.
Shen Li was in turmoil. In this situation, helping either side would mean certain death.
Helping the girl with glasses is the same as offending the pink-haired hottie.
If you don't take sides, both of them will think you're guilty.
He paused for a moment, then cleared his throat.
The expression on his face, which had been one of watching a show, instantly switched to a "rational and objective" mode, and his tone became incredibly sincere and earnest:
"Senior sisters, the question you're asking is actually a philosophical one."
"A philosophical question?"
The two spoke in unison.
"Yes, yes, yes. A philosophical question." Shen Li nodded seriously.
"What is the core of your argument? It's the antinomy between 'freedom of dress' and 'anti-objectification'."
Both of their expressions simultaneously turned into question marks.
"Huh?" The pink-haired hottie blinked.
"It means that no matter what you wear, people will think you're conforming to something. If you wear little, it's called self-objectification. If you wear a lot, it's called being disciplined. If you wear business attire, it's called submitting to the patriarchal order. If you wear sportswear, it's called de-gendering. You get criticized no matter what you wear. What does that say?"
"What does that mean?"
"The key to understanding the problem isn't what you're wearing," Shen Li slapped her thigh, her tone utterly enlightening.
"The problem is that no matter what you wear, the people who want to insult you will find a way to criticize you. So the key issue isn't 'clothing,' it's 'insulting.' By insulting each other here, aren't you playing right into the trap set by those who genuinely want to criticize you?"
Both of them fell silent.
Shen Li seized the opportunity, turning to the bespectacled, mature woman, her tone as sincere as if she were taking an oath to join the Party:
"Senior, do you think that she is catering to the male gaze by wearing tight clothes and posting videos on Douyin?"
But have you ever considered that she might genuinely believe she dances well? A large portion of her fans might be women who genuinely appreciate her dancing?
Then, turning to the pink-haired stunner, his tone became even more earnest:
"Senior, you think her wearing a bodycon skirt and stockings is a professional requirement, not self-objectification. The place where she's interning has dress codes; these are objective workplace rules."
She didn't have the ability to immediately overturn the rule, so she followed it for now—that's called strategic survival. There's nothing shameful about it.
The two exchanged a glance, and the murderous intent in their eyes seemed to lessen slightly.
Shen Li continued:
"So you see, your argument is essentially about how to define freedom."
Philosophers have been arguing about this for thousands of years and still haven't figured it out. Do you two think you can figure it out here?
He shrugged.
"You can't argue with each other to no avail. So why don't we both take a step back, have a cup of milk tea, and calm down? The new 'Cha Yan Yue Se' tea shop near the North Gate, their Oolong tea is delicious, I've tried it myself, it's worth it."
The pink-haired hottie's lips twitched, as if she wanted to laugh but held it back.
The bespectacled woman also slightly curled the corners of her mouth.
Then, almost simultaneously, the two turned to look at Shen Li and said in unison, "You're quite good at playing the good guy."
Shen Li: "...What?"
"You weren't 'reasoning' just now, you were 'playing peacemaker'."
The bespectacled woman adjusted her gold-rimmed glasses, her sharp eyes behind the lenses fixed on Shen Li, her tone now laced with scrutiny.
"You never clearly stated who you supported from beginning to end; you just used a set of seemingly fair rhetoric to shift the blame."
The pink-haired stunner finally realized what was happening and crossed her arms: "Right! You didn't even answer 'whether this counts as self-objectification'; you just went around in circles and changed the subject!"
The bespectacled woman added insult to injury, her tone laced with a cold laugh:
"Your argument just now seemed fair, but it actually characterized the argument between the two girls as 'each of them being equally at fault,' and then you played the good guy in the middle. I've seen this kind of rhetoric all the time online."
Shen Li: "...???"
What the hell is going on? I tried to mediate between you two, and you turned around and attacked me?
His lips moved, then he cleared his throat, and his expression changed from "rational and objective" to "honest and simple":
"Senior sisters, let me be honest. I just wanted to be a good person because I really didn't know how to evaluate you."
You both have your own reasons, your own perspectives, and your own life experiences. My understanding of you is limited to what I've heard in the last few minutes. If I were to take sides, that would be truly irresponsible.
The two of them were both stunned for a moment.
Shen Li continued to exert her power, her tone becoming increasingly sincere and her expression increasingly innocent:
"And frankly, it's not really appropriate for me, a man, to comment on 'women's freedom of dress' here. You guys talk amongst yourselves; if I, an outsider, interrupt and say something wrong, wouldn't that just add fuel to the fire?"
He spread his hands, making a gesture of "I surrender":
"So I thought, at least don't make things worse. If this is considered 'playing it safe,' then I accept it. Go ahead and criticize me."
The bespectacled woman looked at Shen Li without saying a word. The pink-haired hottie's brows furrowed, but in a subtle way, and her lips twitched slightly.
After several seconds, the bespectacled woman let out a soft sigh, her aggressive expression softening slightly. "Fine. That's not a good response." She turned and picked up her bag, which was lying beside her. "I'm leaving. I still have a manuscript to submit."
The bespectacled woman took two steps forward, then suddenly turned and glanced back at the pink-haired stunner.
"Your dancing is indeed quite good. But you could rethink the caption. It's not for men to see, it's for yourself."
After saying that, she walked away in her high heels, clicking away.
The pink-haired hottie stood there, stunned for a moment, then shouted at the bespectacled older woman's back, "What did you mean by that? Were you praising me or subtly criticizing me?"
The bespectacled woman didn't turn her head, just waved her hand. Her back swayed gracefully, her shoulders broad, her waist slender, and her hips pert. The sound of her high heels clicking on the ground gradually faded into the distance.
The pink-haired hottie turned around and looked Shen Li up and down.
Her gaze held a hint of scrutiny, and her long legs, encased in cargo pants, took a step forward, her pink pigtails swaying slightly.
"When you mentioned 'antinomy,' did you memorize it from a philosophy dictionary or just Google it on the spot?"
Shen Li remained expressionless: "I just Googled it on the spot."