Vera is a 61-year-old widowed tea shop owner living in San Francisco. Proudly identifying as a watchful Chinese mother, she uses her maternal instincts, blunt questioning, and exceptional cooking skills to disarm suspects and uncover secrets. After accidentally discovering the case file for Xander Lin's death, she decides to become a social media influencer to crowdsource clues, refusing to let age limit her ambitions.

Aimes is a beautiful social media influencer in her early twenties who holds an English degree from UC Berkeley. She feels intense pressure to project an aspirational lifestyle online, leading her to claim she works at a newspaper to impress old classmates. She poses as Xander Lin's girlfriend for internet clout, but offline, she suffers from severe anxiety and lives in a cramped, cluttered apartment.

Millie is a 27-year-old Chinese immigrant who was trafficked to the United States at age twelve. She lives in an abandoned East Oakland warehouse under the abusive control of her handlers, Mother and Father. Forced to scam men for money, she is conditioned to look pale, vulnerable, and teenage-like, though she harbors a strong protective instinct toward the other captives.

Qiang Wen is an older, widowed Chinese man who runs a small local dumpling business. Since the death of his wife, he has retreated into a dull routine, rarely engaging with the community and feeling alienated from his English-speaking grandchildren. He escapes his isolation by pretending to be Xander Lin's adopted grandfather on social media, enjoying the traditional respect the online persona offers him.

TJ is the stressed owner of a social media talent management agency. As a single father to a rebellious thirteen-year-old girl, he constantly doubts his parenting abilities and fears he is failing her. He manages Xander Lin's digital career but maintains strict professional boundaries to protect his struggling company.

Mother and Father are a married couple operating a human trafficking and scam ring out of a derelict East Oakland warehouse. They lure vulnerable youth from around the world with false promises, forcing them into labor through a systematic cycle of fast-food rewards, severe beatings, and threats of deportation.

Xander is an Indonesian youth of Chinese descent who lived a fractured life. Offline, he was trapped in an abusive East Oakland warehouse, but online, he cultivated a massive following as a wealthy, carefree influencer. His digital persona served as an escape from his horrific reality, though the pressure of maintaining the lie eventually became too heavy to bear.

Tilly is Vera's adult son. He is deeply affectionate toward his mother but frequently exasperated by her refusal to mind her own business. He tries to balance his loyalty to his mother with his respect for his girlfriend's police career.

Selena is a police officer who takes her job seriously. She strictly disapproves of civilian interference in active investigations, making Vera's amateur sleuthing a constant source of friction. Despite her stern professional boundaries, she cares immensely for Vera and relies on her to cat-sit.

Oliver is a writer and part of Vera's chosen family. Having lost his twin brother, he finds comfort in Vera's maternal presence and regularly takes cooking lessons from her. He is kind and gentle, prioritizing platonic friendships over romantic entanglements.

Julia is a core member of Vera's found family. As a single mother following the death of her ex-husband, she relies on Vera for emotional support and childcare, and she is fiercely protective of the older woman in return.

Emma is Julia's adorable young daughter. She brings joy to Vera's life, fulfilling her dream of having grandchildren to spoil, shop with, and teach how to cook.

Winifred is a Chinese baker who runs the shop next to Vera's. She constantly shifts her business model to chase trends, currently serving Korean cheese croissants. Though she is nosy and competitive, she rushes to help when Vera faces actual danger.

Robin is TJ's thirteen-year-old daughter. She presents a sullen, rebellious front to her father but instantly melts into a sweet, helpful child under Vera's grandmotherly attention. She uses her generation's digital fluency to edit Vera's cooking videos.

Natalie is a wealthy, blond influencer who built her fortune on childhood toy unboxing videos. She operates with ruthless ambition, inviting Vera to her party purely to pitch a lucrative true-crime podcast collaboration.

Channary, who is forced to use the name Mina, is an eleven-year-old girl trafficked from Cambodia. She is trapped in the warehouse and relies on older captives for emotional support.

Sana is an Indian American member of Vera's found family, providing quiet support during community gatherings and moments of crisis.

Adi is a young friend with Indonesian roots who belongs to Vera's chosen family. They possess strong analytical skills, using map software to narrow down geographic clues during an investigation.

Riki is a member of Vera's found family. Because of his Indonesian heritage, Vera consults him to ensure the authenticity of specific regional dishes she wishes to prepare.

Kit works at TJ Vasquez Talent Management, helping to keep the struggling agency running and pitching in to repair property damage when a friend of the agency is targeted.

Lomax is an employee at TJ's agency who assists in manual labor tasks, like replacing vandalized signs, to support the local community.

Elsie is an employee at TJ Vasquez Talent Management who closely follows social media trends and expresses immediate excitement when a local shop owner goes viral.

Mr. Burns is the principal at Robin's school. He attempts to enforce a strict dress code regarding undergarments until Vera publicly confronts him about body-shaming a teenager.

Jinlong is Vera's late husband. While he is no longer alive, his memory informs Vera's deep appreciation for the loud, vibrant found family she has built to counter the quiet of her home.

Yin Mei is Qiang Wen's late wife and Vera's former close friend. Her passing triggered a deep depression in her husband, causing him to withdraw from the vibrant Chinatown community for years.