Crybaby Alpha, She’s Too Clingy - Chapter 1

Before her grandmother’s death, Xia Yan had never imagined she would leave that old, worn town before the age of eighteen.

Now, wearing slightly yellowed white canvas shoes, she stood in a garden that seemed like a labyrinth. Not far away loomed a villa supported by towering Roman columns, romantic and dignified, straight out of a television drama.

The cobblestone path of rain-polished pebbles pricked faintly at the soles of her feet. Like a wary little cat, she cast her clear black-and-white eyes around, carefully observing her surroundings.

Suddenly, the ivory-colored front doors cracked open, releasing a spill of golden light. It fell across her worn shoes, pushing back the shadows bit by bit.

A middle-aged Alpha man, around fifty, stepped out.

When he saw the frail figure standing at the bottom of the steps, he rushed down, excitement written all over his face.

“Yan Yan, you’ve come.”

He lifted a hand as if to reach for her, but when the girl’s small fingers instinctively curled back toward her skirt, he stopped short, restraining himself. He wanted her to feel safe.

Xia Yan knew the man before her would not harm her—her grandmother had entrusted her to his care on her deathbed.

Still, having just endured the weight of the funeral, she wasn’t quite ready for the intensity of his emotions.

Lifting her gaze briefly to the few scattered stars in the sky, she drew back her feelings and tugged the corners of her lips into a polite smile.

“Hello, Uncle Lin. My name is Xia Yan.” Her voice was soft and clear, like a handful of glass beads dropped into a mountain spring.

Lin Liangping didn’t press her, only smiled, the wrinkles at his eyes deepening to make him look even kinder. But when he glanced past her thin shoulders and noticed that only the driver stood behind her, his brows knit together.

In a low, stern voice, he asked, “Old Zhao, where is Lin Wan? Didn’t I tell her to go with you to pick up Yan Yan? Where is she?”

The driver hesitated but answered truthfully.

“Master, the young miss said she had something to attend to today, so I came alone to pick up Miss Xia.”

“What business could she possibly have? It’s the holidays—she should be home, not running around all day.” Turning to a servant at his side, he ordered, “You Ma, call Lin Wan. Tell her if she’s not home by ten, her allowance for the month is gone.”

Xia Yan’s round eyes shifted from one face to another, quietly piecing things together. She guessed that “Lin Wan” must be Uncle Lin’s daughter.

Sister Lin Wan, she repeated silently in her heart, as though offering a polite greeting.

But just as she was about to step inside, the slam of a car door sounded behind her.

“Dad, I just skipped picking up that little country bumpkin—do you really need to threaten me over pocket money?”

A bright, melodic voice floated toward them.

“You? I can’t count on you for anything. Yan Yan is already here,” Lin Liangping said, his expression hardening. Then he turned, his face instantly softening as his gaze fell on Xia Yan. “Yan Yan, this is your Sister Lin Wan.”

Lifting her eyes, Xia Yan met her figure standing in front of her.

Their gazes met—one wary, one clear as water.

Seventeen-year-old Xia Yan had never seen such a beautiful Alpha. Her hair cascaded over her shoulders; a casual jacket paired with a black mini-skirt revealed long, pale legs accentuated by knee-high black boots. Her face seemed to shine with a brilliance that lit up the entire garden.

High nose, red lips—she exuded a natural allure. Xia Yan, not yet differentiated, didn’t realize this charm came from the faint trace of Alpha pheromones. To her, it was simply a fragrance more intoxicating than any flower along the road.

“So you’re Xia Yan?”

Lin Wan couldn’t tell what the other girl was staring at—only that those limpid eyes held a hint of daze. In the next second, she grabbed the girl’s slender wrist, lips curving into a faint smile.

“I’m Lin Wan. Welcome to my home.”

The sudden touch startled Xia Yan. She tried to pull free, but Lin Wan’s grip was too strong, leaving her no choice but to stumble along in confusion through the open doors.

The lights inside the villa made her slightly dizzy. Behind them, Lin Liangping watched his daughter’s enthusiasm and let out a silent breath of relief. He had worried Lin Wan would look down on the orphaned girl.

Thirty years ago, when Lin Liangping had inherited the family business, youthful arrogance nearly drove it into ruin. It was the Xia family who stepped in to save him from disaster.

The two families became close. But fate was cruel: not long after, his friends—the young couple from the Xia family—died in a car accident, and their company collapsed.

In the chaos that followed, it was the Xia family’s elderly matriarch who shouldered the grief of her son and daughter-in-law’s deaths. Unable to keep living in Nancheng, she took her three-year-old granddaughter, Xia Yan, back to her hometown—a place that seemed old and shabby now.

Proud all her life, the old woman refused every form of aid Lin Liangping offered. He could only promise that, should she ever face hardship, she need only speak.

A year ago, she finally reached out, saying her health was failing. Her only worry was her granddaughter. Lin Liangping rushed to Nancheng immediately.

The once prosperous, flower-loving lady he remembered was now frail, hair white as frost. Yet even in such decline, she remained graceful and proper, a vase of fresh garden flowers always adorning her table.

He hadn’t hesitated—he promised to take Xia Yan into the Lin household.

One week later, news came that the old woman had passed away.

So when Lin Liangping now saw Xia Yan’s straight little figure standing before the gates, his eyes stung. He vowed to repay the debt of friendship through this child.

Meanwhile, Lin Wan had pulled Xia Yan upstairs and into a spacious room—larger than the entire house she and her grandmother once lived in. It had a private bathroom, a walk-in closet, everything complete.

Before she could take in the details, Lin Wan shoved her down onto the sofa. Her schoolbag pressed uncomfortably against her thin back.

“So, you’re Xia Yan? You look pretty pale. From Nancheng, right?”

Lin Wan lounged on the single sofa opposite, arms folded. The smile was gone from her face, replaced by an icy look in her eyes.

When she first heard her father say the family would be taking in another child, her instinct was to refuse.

But after learning the full story, she didn’t say much. Now, seeing that the newcomer was just an undifferentiated little brat with eyes as wide and innocent as a rabbit’s, she let out a soft snort through her nose.

Her red lips parted slightly. “Listen carefully. Three rules.”

“First, without my permission, you are not allowed into my room.”

“Second, for the sake of my own ‘interests,’ I’ll act as I did just now. But inside this house, I expect us to stay out of each other’s way.”

“Third, I haven’t thought of it yet. When I do, I’ll let you know.”

With that, she rose and walked away, leaving behind a figure brimming with defiance.

“Lin Wan-jie” Xia Yan, looking utterly bewildered, suddenly called after her.

She slipped the old but well-washed schoolbag off her shoulder, letting it hang at her sides against her skirt. Her eyes shone with determination. “You may have misunderstood. I’m not here to take over your home. I already told Uncle Lin—once I finish high school and get into university, I’ll leave. So there’s no need to be hostile toward me.”

The word “hostile” caught Lin Wan’s attention. Her lips curled into a smirk as she pivoted on her heel and strode back toward Xia Yan.

Folding her arms, her cool gaze lingered on the younger girl’s pale pink lips. Her eyes, tinted with a bluish glint, flashed like cold steel. A sharp laugh escaped her throat. “Little brat, do you even know what hostility means? Real hostility is throwing you out the window—not letting you sit on my sofa or sleep in my bed. I’m an adult; I won’t stoop to your level. But remember this—this house runs by my rules. Got it?”

She knew a wild child from the countryside wouldn’t understand manners unless they were spelled out. Lin Wan had to lay down the law.

“Alright.” Xia Yan’s face stayed calm. She swallowed lightly and stepped back, putting more space between them.

That night, she wrote a single line in her diary:

She doesn’t like me.

After Lin Wan left, Xia Yan unpacked her schoolbag and placed a photo of her grandmother beside the bed. The housekeeper, Aunt You, worried she might not know how to use the facilities and patiently came upstairs to explain everything one by one.

Aunt You was a Beta, always wearing a kind, gentle smile. Xia Yan felt instantly at ease with her.

“Thank you, Aunt You. I understand everything now.”

Aunt You’s eyes crinkled as she smiled. “Miss Xia, there’s no need to feel reserved. The Master and the young lady are both good people. Especially Miss Lin—she can be willful at times, but she’s not a bad person. I’m sure, once you get to know her, you’ll like her.”

Xia Yan’s brows drew together at once. She didn’t agree.

Uncle Lin was indeed a good man. But Lin Wan, she reminded her more of the “villainous women” in the melodramas she used to watch with her grandmother. Liking her seemed impossible.

Just as Lin Wan had said, it would be better if they kept their distance.

She only needed to endure her final year of high school.

Her suitcase had already been brought upstairs by Aunt You. Before bed, Xia Yan replaced the soft velvet pillow with the lavender-stuffed pillow her grandmother had sewn by hand—something she said would help her sleep well after long days of studying.

Her grandmother had always taught her to move forward, never linger in sorrow. Forgetting pain didn’t mean being heartless—it meant facing life head-on, honoring the gift of living.

Moonlight spilled into the room, illuminating her clean, youthful face. Resting on her little pillow, Xia Yan drifted quickly into sleep. A single crystal tear slipped silently down her nose, soaking into the fabric beneath.

From now on, she would have to face life alone.

The next morning.

Even though it was summer break, Xia Yan never had the habit of sleeping in. She rose early. Since there hadn’t been time yesterday, Aunt You led her on a morning tour of the villa, explaining each living space in detail.

Xia Yan memorized everything carefully.

When they came back inside through the rear garden, Lin Liangping was already seated at the dining table. Dressed in a tailored suit, he looked less like a businessman and more like a cultured scholar.

“Yan Yan, why didn’t you sleep in a little longer?” he asked warmly.

“Oh—Uncle Lin, I’m used to getting up early to read.”

Seeing the faint, gentle smile on Xia Yan’s face, Lin Liangping felt more and more that this child was genuinely obedient and sensible. The comparison was inevitable. His gaze drifted toward the staircase, his voice dropping a note lower.

“Aunt You, go call the young lady down for breakfast.”

Aunt You hesitated, looking uneasy. “Master, the young lady said last night she didn’t want to be woken up for breakfast this morning.”

Lin Liangping glanced at his watch, set down his glass of milk, and walked toward Xia Yan. His eyes softened. “Yan Yan, why don’t you go wake your sister Lin Wan? Then maybe the two of you could read together.”

Xia Yan immediately thought of Lin Wan’s warning from the night before. Her expression turned awkward. “Uncle Lin, Lin Wan-jie is a university student, I don’t think she needs to wake up early to study.”

“Who says university students can slack off and stop studying?”

Though usually busy, Lin Liangping never neglected discipline. Unfortunately, his daughter had inherited her mother’s fiery temper. How could he one day entrust her with the company if she kept this up?

Now that Xia Yan had arrived, perhaps she could help rein in some of Lin Wan’s bad habits.

In the end, Xia Yan didn’t go to wake Lin Wan. Instead, she returned quietly to her room and opened a book.

Suddenly, a sharp wail of anguish rang out from next door, startling her so much that the book nearly slipped from her hands.

“My god—studying? Reading? That little brat, that overachiever, dares to outdo me under my own roof?”