The first class in the afternoon was Zhu Yan's "Radiant Stone Alchemy." No one dared be late for his class. Ming Shuiyun arrived at the classroom early and saw Li Ying, Qian Yuya, and the others sitting in their usual seats toward the middle and back.
She was just about to go over and greet them when someone suddenly linked arms with her left arm. "Shuiyun Palace, there are good seats open in the first row. Let's hurry over."
"Mm, okay."
Several girls accompanied Ming Shuiyun. Almost all of them were classmates who excelled both academically and morally and came from prominent families. They were also the most influential figures among the first-year students.
Studying was important at the Imperial Academy, but it wasn't everything—Qian Yuya, Lin Xue, and Kui Nianruo were indeed top-ranking students, but that was all. Everyone respected them for their grades, but no one would choose to stand with them because of that alone.
It was like playing cards. "Good grades" were a trump card, but not the ultimate trump. They also needed supporting cards such as "family background" and "social connections" to gather influence and put it to use.
And in the Imperial Academy, there was no shortage of second-generation scions who came from prominent families, excelled in both academics and character, were handsome or beautiful, and had maxed-out social skills. The entrance examination ensured that useless fools couldn't enter the Imperial Academy, while Cha Huan ensured that idiots couldn't survive there.
If Qian Yuya's circle could be described as "respectable," then the circle Ming Shuiyun now occupied was "enviable"—like the popular crowd in a high school class who spent every day discussing where to go for karaoke, travel, or concerts. The difference was that besides having fun, Ming Shuiyun's circle also involved "prospects" and