"The biggest difficulty really was the loneliness. Sometimes, if I wanted to talk to someone I'd talk to the TV," Yang told the BBC.
Her loneliness became so severe that she even considered voluntary euthanasia.
"I asked my son about it but he told me it was banned. I told him that if it ever becomes legal I want to do it - I didn't want to live any longer," Yang said.
Her situation changed after Wang Yingwei and his electric scooter delivery team began visiting her twice a day with hot meals. Their work also includes fixing household problems and helping elderly customers manage daily life.
"We see ourselves as community children," Yingwei said. "It means putting yourself in the shoes of older people and carefully considering their needs."
"The elderly treat us like their children, and we treat them like our own parents," Yingwei added.
Don't Miss: Hate crimes against Indians abroad: From racist abuse to an alleged mass shooting plot
His services cost less than half the price of employing a caregiver.
From hospital escorts to hiking partners
The demand is not limited to older people. Twenty-three-year-old Liu Yanyan works as a "medical escort", accompanying clients to hospitals, collecting medicines and helping them navigate large medical facilities.
"Some of my customers are people in their 20s who came to Beijing to build a career. They might not have friends here or feel awkward asking colleagues to accompany them because of the concept of social reciprocity in Chinese culture," Liu said.
"So, they hire someone like me to accompany them to the hospital. If they had to go alone, they could feel scared or anxious," she added.
Other services offer companionship in less conventional settings. Wang Zhoutao, who runs hiking trips on China's Mount Huangshan, provides emotional support alongside the trek.
"We provide emotional support, like cheering them up, taking their photo or telling jokes. It's really a service based on companionship," Zhoutao said.
Must Read: From space to underwater warfare: Defence Ministry signs Rs 4,106 crore deals for IAF, Navy
Loneliness becomes a business
Associate Professor Teresa Kuan of the Chinese University of Hong Kong said social changes and migration have contributed to isolation in Chinese cities.
"If there is a companion you have paid for, the relationship is not exactly equal. It is a service relationship, so you don't have to deal with the unpredictability of a standard relationship," Kuan said.
Securities company Sinolink valued the sector at around $7.4 billion in 2025, with the market expected to grow as modern lifestyles create more demand for paid human connection.
Back in Beijing, Yang said the service has helped her regain some of the comfort she had lost.
"I did struggle with loneliness but that's been resolved now. I'm quite happy," Yang said.