For 26-year-old Tianjin office worker Celine Wang, it is an extra cup of milk tea.
“One for me and the other for lao ji,” she said, placing the double order on a workday afternoon in January.
“After going through all the difficulties from trying to be the best performer at school to surviving at my workplace, I feel tired.
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“I’ve decided to treat myself well … ai ni lao ji,” she said, using a buzzword that took off in the gaming world and has become a mantra for personal wellness in China.
The phrase means “love you, dear self” and has exploded in use across platforms like Douyin, RedNote and Kuaishou, collectively racking up billions of views in recent months.
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Users post about small indulgences like enjoying a late-night snack after working overtime or praising themselves after a hard study session. Young people especially have embraced acts of self-compassion and immediate self-reward.
