Photo:CFP

Photo: Cui Meng/GT

While Wang Sicong, son of China's richest man Wang Jianlin, is often held up as the ideal husband for being smart as well as wealthy, it seems that he has been unseated by an unlikely opponent - a fox named Nick. 

Nick appears as one of the main characters in Disney's latest animated film Zootopia, which has swept the global box office for another week straight. With the film having currently earned 804 million yuan ($123 million) at the Chinese mainland box office, Nick has managed to capture the hearts of a large group of female moviegoers, who are holding him up as the ideal boyfriend or husband.

Boyfriend necessities

Typing the keywords "fox" and "husband" on social network platforms like Sina Weibo and you will quickly discover numerous women who are fascinated about Nick.  

"All my roommates dream of Nick the fox being their husband," netizen Hey Tianha, 19, posted on Sina Weibo after watching the film with her roommates Saturday. 

And if you think only young single women are pursing Nick, you'd be wrong. Huang Wei, a mother of two children in her 30s, confessed to the Global Times that she finds Nick absolutely charming.

"Handsome for sure and chivalrous," Huang said. "Just my type."

Nick's success with the ladies has even inspired people to learn from Nick when it comes to flirting.

• Be sure to maintain close eye contact.

• Don't try and hide your innocent side. It shows you still have a child's heart.

• Be brave when facing danger.

• Don't forget to be a little mischievous.

In an attempt to figure out how this fox, who is portrayed as a loafer with loose values at the beginning of the film, has managed to charm so many people, local media has even begun analyzing his behavior.

"This once again proves the old idea that women like 'bad boys,'" the Beijing News wrote in a report, going on to explain that while Nick cheats another character Judy out of some money for a giant-sized popsicle, this kind of behavior is forgivable.

"More importantly, Nick is able to tell right from wrong when it comes to the big issues."

"Except for being a tad naughty, Nick has adorable advantages. He's sophisticated and full of street wisdom. Where others may have gone bad from years of living the life of a lower class loafer, he still has an innocent heart," the report added.

"His biggest foundation is his virtuous nature," Cheng Xiaolu, a 34-year-old working in the media industry in Beijing, told the Global Times.

She agrees with the Beijing News' assessment that women tend to like bad boys.

"The tricks he plays are not a big character flaw but actually show his intelligence. While the way he mocks people shows his sense of humor," Chen added, stressing that Nick is someone you can rely on when in trouble.

"He's mine ladies! Everyone else, just walk away," Chen jokingly posted on WeChat.