According to the South China Morning Postthe controversy erupted on Oct. 22 when an influencer who goes by the pseudonym “Mona” on social media, from Xiamen in southeastern China, revealed that she had been in a relationship with Zhong Shaozhen, a 37-year-old official with the Xiamen Cultural Market Comprehensive Law Enforcement Detachment under the city’s Bureau of Culture and Tourism.

Mona, 26, stated that her relationship with Zhong lasted 20 months. She recounted meeting Zhong in December 2022, noting that he offered support during challenging times. Their relationship quickly developed, and they soon moved in together. She later discovered he was already married with two children and had multiple mistresses.

“At that time, I was unaware he was already married with two children and that he had a mistress who had been waiting for him for 10 years…,” Mona wrote. “But I became his fourth lover.”

She described the many trips they took throughout China, mentioning that Zhong once told her she meant more to him “than his life.”

The relationship fell apart in October when she found messages on his phone that revealed his plans to marry his “third mistress.”

“He called to tell me he does not love me any more,” Mona shared online. “I’m not jealous, but I am completely devastated.”

In response, the Xiamen Cultural Market Comprehensive Law Enforcement Detachment issued a statement on October 24, acknowledging that Zhong’s actions were improper and had caused a negative impact, as reported by The Star. The official was given an administrative demerit, a punishment that many netizens deemed inadequate.

Social media users reacted with sharp criticism, calling the penalty “laughable” and questioning how Zhong, a department-level official, could sustain a lifestyle of frequent travel with multiple mistresses.

“In those 20 months together, they travelled everywhere across the country,” one online commenter noted. ” Can a department-level official’s legitimate income really support this kind of lifestyle?”

“Is he just busy having affairs all day?” questioned another. “When does he work?”