‘This person loves you but doesn’t exist’: Inside China’s romance role-playing boom

In Shanghai, a unique form of entertainment known as 'lianpei' or 'love companion' role-playing games is booming, particularly among young Chinese women. These experiences, adapted from traditional murder mystery games, allow customers to pay for hours of scripted romantic interaction with professional performers. Participants step into roles like childhood sweethearts or tragic lovers, engaging in scenarios designed to evoke deep emotional connection. One performer, known as Xiaobai, plays a fictional psychiatrist who erased himself from his lover's memory, while the customer, playing the woman he loves, is deeply moved to tears. The games often run for hours and can cost hundreds of yuan, with customers predominantly being young women seeking an escape and emotional release. Chi Peiyao, a 20-year-old player, notes that these games offer a chance to experience unconditional love and devotion without real-life obligations. Initially popular among friends, the genre has shifted towards romance-focused stories due to high customer demand. Performers create manufactured affection through intimate gestures like embraces, face caresses, and 'princess carries,' often shared via viral clips on platforms like Xiaohongshu and Douyin. This surge in popularity, however, prompts discussions about the boundaries of manufactured intimacy and the potential for these simulated relationships to blur with reality.

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My shepherd. Do you see me now?