`Chapter 17

Chapter 17

[Li Tao] Butterfly New Drama Saints in the Mist Plot Discussion Thread (Contains Spoilers, Enter with Caution)

Poster: Logic Master

Family, have you all been following Qu Ping’s new drama? I just finished watching three episodes and couldn’t sleep, so I’m here to chat a bit. I’m not a professional, please go easy. The dismemberment and bone-burning case in Happiness Garden Community—the killer’s anti-detection skills are insane! First dismember the body, then vacuum-seal it to reduce blood leakage, finally burn the bones to destroy DNA. The scene was as clean as if a cleaning lady had gone over it three times… I seriously suspect Zhao Ke being transferred to Mist City was a setup; someone deliberately wanted him to take this case!

Also, any forensic or criminal investigation bros, can you analyze how feasible this dismemberment and bone-burning is in reality?

Comment 2: Tourist8923

Sofa! This drama is insane. During the dismemberment, I literally covered my eyes and watched through my fingers… Qu Ping is a real devil, filming from the victim’s perspective! Feels like I’m the one being thrown into the oven!!! (terrified) (terrified)

Comment 3: Flower in the Mist

Claiming the floor, +1 for watching the third episode. Lin Yutong really studied forensics, her sense of order is too strong; the corpse pieces in the fridge are even neater than how I fold socks… I bet 50 cents she has some emotional entanglement with the victim, maybe a secret lover or something—imagine pulverizing bones and scattering ashes! How big of a grudge must that be? Classic revenge drama confirmed!

Comment 5: All Beauties Are Mine hehe

Zhao Ke’s wife is played by Liu Yu! Truly a beauty, and the way she looks at Zhao Ke clearly shows lingering feelings~ Mist City is so deep. In the second episode’s flashback, Zhao Ke’s mentor and current superior had conflicts, the position of the team leader had me suffocating just watching through the screen…

Comment 6: Outlaw Zhang San

Holy shit! Lin Yutong’s “looking at the dead” expression, I literally knelt…

Comment 10: Anonymous Criminal Investigator (Interning)

Passing by as a criminal investigator slacker, emmm… theoretically feasible, but the oven requirement is pretty high. I checked a few household barbecue ovens from the show, in reality it’s very hard to calcify bone fragments. Can only say… as long as the screenwriter is happy (dog head).

Comment 11: Helpful Citizen Mr. Wang

Reply to poster: Why are you asking such details?? Don’t tell me you’re doing… homework? (suddenly alert.jpg)

Comment 26: No Cilantro Get Off Earth

What’s strange about murder and dismemberment? Lin Yutong clearly fits an evil woman archetype: high-functioning antisocial, had no friends in school, alone, basically no communication with classmates or teachers.

Comment 27: Captain Hook

Reply to 26: Actually she did interact! Around 7:20 in episode three, a senior nursing student greets her in the corridor, Lin Yutong nods in response, though just for 0.5 seconds…

Comment 35: Arguer, You’re Wrong

Reply to 27: Why would a nursing student attend classes with a forensic student? This bug is too obvious, and people still call this a “detail god-level drama”?

Comment 41: Qu Ping’s Microscope

Reply to 35: Don’t awkwardly hate on the previous points! The lines clearly say the senior just came to audit the class! How could director Qu, a detail fanatic, make such a rookie mistake? This camera definitely planted foreshadowing, just wait and see the later smack in your face!

Comment 49: Villain Aesthetic Enthusiast

Although…but… Lin Yutong’s character is so captivating, intelligence crushing the room, using professional knowledge to commit crimes, calmly dismembering and still remaining composed under interrogation… the ultimate evil woman archetype, indeed.

…

Comment 66: Detective Ke in Action

Zhao Ke is still amazing. If he didn’t interrogate Lin Yutong, this case would still be going in circles.

Comment 70: Detail Shark

The actress for Lin Yutong is amazing! Her eyes are so expressive, and she wasn’t overshadowed acting opposite Old Duan. When she said “Officer Zhao,” my goosebumps popped instantly! The second their eyes met, holy shit, I could hear the electricity!

Comment 73: Mad Aesthetic Bot

Reply to 70: Right, right, her half-smile, half-serious expression, I seriously love it! Finally a real blackened beauty not relying on smoky makeup! Sister kills with her eyes!

Comment 102: I Don’t Follow Celebrities

So who plays Lin Yutong? I need all her information in three minutes!

…

Comment 223: Drama Marathoner

Binge-watched all six episodes in one go, I just want to say: “The best hunters often appear in the form of prey.” Classic question arises—Is Lin Yutong really the true culprit?

Comment 224: Anonymous Criminal Investigator (Interning)

Feels like at most she’s an accomplice? So far, no scene shows her directly killing anyone, but the dismemberment scenes are shown very clearly (imo, filmed too realistically—why does watching a drama feel like going to work).

Comment 255: Brainstorm Bottle Opener

I, I have a guess… back in Hui County, could Lin Yutong have been bullied by Lu Yang? Now she’s back for revenge?

Comment 259: Anti-Cliché Expert

Reply to 255: No way! That setup is too clichéd. If they really went that route, I’d be the first to quit the drama!

Comment 260: Wild Drama Watcher

With Lin Sister’s personality, if she had been bullied, that same night she’d have taken a dissection knife and gone to chop the jerk. Would Lu Yang have survived all these years otherwise?

Comment 300: Wants to Be Sister’s Dog

Has anyone dug up Lin Yutong actress’s Weibo? Sister is too cute… that cold aura, that oppressive vibe… step on me! Step on me hard! (twisting, crawling) (creeping in darkness) (makes noises wanting to be stepped on by sister)

Comment 302: Frontline Guide Bot

Reply to 300: Calm down! It’s the younger sister, not the elder! Weibo guide @Shiyin Yin, newly registered account, only has stills and promotions. The younger sister seems just of age, don’t scare her!

~

Saints in the Mist suddenly dropped, catching everyone off guard. Not only were viewers surprised, the streaming platform Butterfly Video was also a bit rushed, failing to release even a basic watch calendar immediately.

Luckily, the drama’s promo team reacted fast, releasing top-tier main visual posters and multiple trailers at once. Official social media accounts launched simultaneously, rolling out daily trending memes, creative short videos, successfully attracting large audiences to start watching.

The main poster of Saints in the Mist uses a group composition: Zhao Ke stands at the center, surrounded by main characters sitting or standing, each with different expressions. In the far background, a blurred white figure walks against thick fog, creating a strong suspenseful atmosphere. Lin Yutong, played by Shiyin Yin, was composited in later, but since the entire scene is shrouded in mist, it doesn’t look out of place.

The official Weibo tagged actors according to screen time. Shiyin Yin was mid-tier; the actors before her were all industry veterans. Next to her name was noted “Special Appearance.”

Under Wen Jinhe’s gentle coaxing (scratched out—soft persuasion), usually low-profile Qu Ping also rarely posted on Weibo: “Introducing the actress of Lin Yutong @Shiyin Yin, a very talented rookie actor, promising future.”

New fans of her looks and acting traced her Weibo through various connections, only to find she’s an extremely “pure” newcomer. Her homepage is almost inactive, except for reposts for drama promotion, and one original post:

“Filming is very happy, seeing Ming Lake at 5 a.m. is also very happy~”

[Photo 1] [Photo 2] [Photo 3]

Photo 1: Behind-the-scenes of Saints in the Mist. Shiyin Yin wears a white lab coat, posing with background actors near the autopsy table, making hearts with her hands. Her almond-shaped eyes curve like crescent moons; even the “body instructor” in the background playfully makes a peace sign.

Photo 2: Captures the sunrise at Ming Lake. Early light breaks through clouds tinted with pale gold and blush, the lake’s surface looks like a gradually unfolding magnificent painting, eternally freezing the moment of the sun bursting forth.

Photo 3: A snapshot under a street lamp. Shiyin Yin holds a leash, slightly turning her head forward, surrounded by darkness. Only a beam of light hits her, loose hair tousled by the evening wind, her smile radiant and pure—a warmth completely different from “Lin Yutong.”

This photo was taken by Kevin while she played with Prince. Wen Jinhe thought it was good and used it directly.

Weibo quickly filled with enthusiastic responses:

“Wow… really bright and cheerful!”

“Completely a different person than Lin Yutong!!”

“So she’s not an evil woman, she’s a sweet girl.”

“Cough, younger sister, hello, let me introduce myself, I’m your future partner.”

“The shameless one upstairs, wife don’t pay attention!”

“Am I the only one noticing the body instructor sitting up? As a medical student, I’m a bit dead.”

The three photos released were personally vetted by Wen Jinhe. Her consideration was clear: “Lin Yutong” is the villain in the drama, but Shiyin Yin’s personal image must not be tied to it. These lively photos bridge the gap with the audience, preparing a broader acting path for her.

However, not all feedback was praise. By the fifth day of Saints in the Mist, as reputation and heat continued to rise, her social media accounts were suddenly flooded with negative reviews:

“The casting of Lin Yutong is a complete failure, neither human nor ghost in performance.”

“The dismemberment killer even buys trending searches, does the platform have any bottom line? And fans worship the worst, are morals following appearances now?”

“Killing and dismembering shown in such detail, aren’t you afraid of corrupting kids? How did this kind of drama pass censorship?!”

“Can’t tell the character from the actor? By your protozoan logic, does the actress playing the mistress get beaten when she goes out?”

“Shouldn’t the mistress get beaten?! You defending her, are you one in real life too?”

“…Help, this is crazy.”

A few new fans who just joined tried to defend Shiyin Yin—“don’t equate character behavior with the actor”—but were quickly chased down with dozens of insults and dared not speak again.

Besides indiscriminate attacks, organized spam began flooding the thread:

“Does the newcomer even have the face to snatch Vivi’s role? Does the newcomer even have the face to snatch Vivi’s role?”

“Got gossip?” Confused passersby came running, jumping in the comments to ask.

“The pilot clearly had Zheng Ruwei, but in the main episode she was cut! This resource-level actress stealing someone else’s role, shameful, right?”

“That tax-evading foot-massage maid better not come out dancing!”

Shiyin Yin was scrolling through the comments with interest. Seeing some ridiculous remarks, she didn’t get angry but laughed instead—only for Wen Jinhe to snatch her phone unexpectedly.

“Stop looking, it’ll affect your mood.” Wen Jinhe locked the screen and tossed the phone to the other side of the sofa. “Obviously Zheng Ruwei is upset and hired trolls to target you. I set up an account manager for you; the PR team will handle these negative comments, deleting and blacklisting in one go. You just focus on acting.”

“I actually have a PR team?” Shiyin Yin’s eyes widened in surprise.

“Star-owned, temporarily lent to you,” Wen Jinhe crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow, tone cold. “Work done counts as outsourcing, you pay the wages yourself.”

Shiyin Yin incredulously held up four fingers and shook her hand to indicate zero: “Wen Jie! My last drama’s pay was zero! Zero!!”

Wen Jinhe scoffed: “You think I wasn’t?”

Shiyin Yin almost cried—how could others earn 2.08 million per day, yet she, as an actor, had to pay out of pocket!!

“Then… maybe don’t block them?” Hearing she’d have to pay, Shiyin Yin immediately started calculating, “Anyway, I’m not angry.”

Wen Jinhe rolled her eyes: “Must block. You’re just starting, these comments scare people away.”

She paused, patted Shiyin Yin’s shoulder, tone slightly comforting: “Look on the bright side, at least no one’s calling you ugly.”

Shiyin Yin: “…Wait, I’m supposed to thank them?”

“Let’s get serious. Now that Lin Yutong’s popularity is rising, scripts have come knocking.” Wen Jinhe revealed today’s true purpose. She knew the entertainment industry’s reality—unknown, low-tier actors can’t get good resources; high-quality scripts are already divided internally. Previously, she hadn’t helped Shiyin Yin take roles, letting her laze at home, partly for this reason. Now, riding Lin Yutong’s momentum, they could plan the next project.

Wen Jinhe pushed two scripts in front of Shiyin Yin: “I suggest taking the first one, but to avoid you saying I’m being autocratic, I’m letting you see the second too.”

Shiyin Yin lowered her head, flipping through them silently.

Wen Jinhe thought she was dissatisfied and explained: “Although both are supporting roles, performing them well will still stand out. You’ve just started gaining attention, struggling from line 18 to line 16.5, don’t aim too high, don’t just focus on screen position.”

“No,” Shiyin Yin felt wronged; she wasn’t rejecting the roles. “Wen Jie, both require long-term shoots. One is three months in the mountains, the other two months on an island.”

“Going out of town, what’s wrong with that?” Wen Jinhe raised an eyebrow. “You’re still attached to home?”

“No,” Shiyin Yin said slowly, a sly glint in her eyes. “But I’m about to start school, can’t take such a long leave.”

Wen Jinhe froze, face full of doubt: “School? What school? What are you talking about?”

“University.” Shiyin Yin blinked, mimicking Wen Jinhe’s previous phone tone, feigning surprise: “…Oh, did I forget to tell you? I got the admission letter, I said I definitely have a school to attend.”

“Let me see the letter.” Wen Jinhe didn’t believe her.

Shiyin Yin calmly pulled a red-and-gold embossed admission letter from the drawer and handed it over.

Wen Jinhe stared at the line “Yue Province University, Class of 2025, Department of Psychology,” silent for a full thirty seconds.

“…This is fake, right?”

“Absolutely real.”

Wen Jinhe rubbed her temples, feeling her brain short-circuit: “Let me process… wait, didn’t you say you were at the bottom of your class before?”

“Mm,” Shiyin Yin said innocently, “but our class is provincially key; over twenty got into Tsinghua or Peking. I really can’t rank in the class.”

Wen Jinhe: “….”

Two thoughts flashed through her mind instantly: one, the entertainment world is full of duds, real academic prodigies are rare, this is a huge fan-attraction asset! Two, Shiyin Yin’s next two to three years of scheduling would need a complete overhaul, countless plans spinning, colliding, and recombining in her head, making her both headache-filled and excited.

“I’ll find you a new script,” Wen Jinhe took a deep breath, almost pinching the philtrum of her own face, “It has to have a flexible schedule, and be shot in this city…”

She suddenly grabbed Shiyin Yin’s hand, eyes blazing: “Keep the school thing a secret for now. If no one digs, don’t say; if someone finds out, deny it. I’m planning something big!”

Author’s note: Shiyin Yin: bottom of the class, but 670 points—giving the agent a little shock.