ZAP // XiXinXing / Depositphotos; NightCafe Studio
The dating scene in China is being marked by the phenomenon of “hunter-style boyfriends”. A growing number of people looking for love are looking for observant and attentive partners, and experts say the trend has a scientific basis.
A new type of partner is on its way to becoming the next big thing in China’s dating market: the so-called “hunter style boyfriend“, or its variant of “warm boy”, linger.
The expression does not mean that the perfect partner works as a hunter, or sees his dates as prey; on the contrary, offer “prey” to their peers during romantic encounters — in the form, for example, of snacks they bring home from work, or beautiful objects they discover on the street.
According to social media users, the value of the “prey” doesn’t matter. Even a simple tea, which costs 20 yuan (2.5 euros), or even a fallen leaffree, but beautiful. What matters is the true feeling of care revealed in the gesture of bringing gifts.
That being said, a “hunter style boyfriend” can’t just bring anything; he must reflect on the choice of giftexplains . So, although a tea may not be expensive, it may well be extremely popular and hard to buyor sold in a store far from home.
O linger and observer, and understands the true needs of your loved one. For example, you might realize that he often works late and buy him a pillow for his back as a surprise.
Sweet and warm personalities have always been popular in the Chinese dating market, and stories about “hunter-style boyfriends” spread across the country’s social media.
On social media, some people describe the sharing food like a Chinese way of showing love. “It’s not about giving good things, but about giving everything he has,” writes one user.
Some users show the “fangs” that their linger bring them; This is the case of a “hunter” who offered his beloved two cherries and two shrimp I brought from a company dinner.
A cartoonist published that her “hunter-style boyfriend” often guards her petiscos that the company distributed. “I feel happy to have a boyfriend who cares about his family,” he explained.
O linger quickly became popular also thanks to the influence of popular romantic television dramas and Asian idols who present this type of male character.
Among the characters linger most famous include High-sugarprotagonist of the Korean hit 2025 , and Li Da-ren in the 2011 Taiwanese drama In Love with You.
Netflix
O linger Yang Gwan-Sik (Park Bo-Gum), with his girlfriend Oh Ae-Sun (Lee Ji-Eun/IU), in the k-drama “When Life Gives You Tangerines” (Netflix, 2025)
Offering “prey” also often takes on a practical nature. “Give someone real things It’s more practical than telling you 100 timess that we love him“, writes a user.
But, according to a psychologist cited by SCMP, there is a scientific basis to the popularity of “hunter style boyfriends”: the gesture of offering gifts is a explicit expression of lovean important element of a healthy relationship.
Xie Shize, a doctoral candidate in neuroscience at Zhejiang University, in eastern China, also explains that our genetic codes determine that “hunter style boyfriends” in provide a feeling of security.
“Partners who are willing to dedicate time and share resources give us confidence that we have a greater probability of survival“, says Xie. On the other hand, those who do not share even the smallest things with their partners are considered selfish and untrustworthy.
Not everyone, however, finds the “hunter-style boyfriend” funny. Some members of feminist community believe that the linger It’s a stereotypebecause it suggests that women are, by default, warm and caring, while the same type of person in the male version it is considered rare.
Despite its alleged rarity, the truth is that the vast majority of single Chinese women seem to be inclined to look for a “hunter-style boyfriend”. “I prefer remain single and settle for someone selfish“, says one user.
