Chinese women spend top dollar on male model shoots, turning staged romance into viral trend

A growing number of young Chinese women are paying for romantic photo shoots with male models, seeking a brief taste of love through a novel form of emotional companionship. This trend has gained significant traction on mainland social media, with customers spending up to 8,000 yuan (US$1,200) for an hour-long session featuring couple-style poses, including hand-holding, embraces, staged kisses, and even touching the models’ abdominal muscles. In July, lifestyle blogger Xue Dinge spent 4,520...