In an effort to deflect pointed questions from concerned relatives over the holidays, single men in China have begun using a smartphone app to rent girlfriends, in an attempt to keep up appearances.

While using Hire Me Plz users can pay from 1 yuan ($0.15) to 1,999 yuan for everything from playing games, casual conversation, a foot massage or dinner. When the Lunar New Year begins to draw near, prices on the date-hiring app can surge from 3,000 to 10,000 yuan a day.

Founder Cao Tiantian said, “Over 1,000 users on our platform have signed up as dates for hire for the New Year break.”

Full story: sputniknews.com