There are at least 120 million people in China who live alone, mostly aged between 20 and 39, South China Morning Post (SCMP) reports, citing statistics.

Many of them yearn for companionship or someone who will listen to them, giving rise to the part-time profession of instant reply providers (IRP).

IRPs are paid up to 10,000 yuan per month to give quick soothing replies to people who are angry and for listening to those who need emotional support, according to SCMP. Their appeal is their quick replies and rates that are cheaper than those of psychologists.

IRPs are usually work-from-home mothers, university students, and freelancers. Their clients are usually white-collar workers, young people, couples who do not live in the same city, and people who are suffering from anxiety, SCMP reports.

Meanwhile, a Chinese actor offers a different kind of companionship when he has no film projects.

Shi Yuanting, 35, charges 799 yuan for a nighttime service and 699 yuan for daytime. A video showing him accompanying a client on a hike up Mount Tai went viral after he posted it in June, according to SCMP.

In the video, Shi is seen gasping for air while joking about being an out-of-work actor, while showing off his abs to emphasize his physical fitness to be a Mount Tai professional climbing companion, SCMP says.

Shi told SCMP that if he does not land any acting roles this year, he plans to also offer “swimming companionship,” assuring safety to clients as he is a nationally certified swimmer.