A pair of Chinese sisters, aged 20 and 15, have exposed a decade-long affair between their father, a former professor at the prestigious Wuhan University, and his student, who is now a professor at the same institution.
Recently, they published an 86-page expose of this affair online, sparking heated discussions across social media platforms.
The sisters are targeting their father, Fu Lei, a 47-year-old former professor and doctoral supervisor at Wuhan University’s College of Chemistry and Molecular Sciences, who currently serves as the vice principal at Anhui University and is a member of the Party Committee’s standing committee.
According to circulating materials, Fu’s former doctoral student, 35-year-old Zeng Mengqi, has been involved with Fu since 2016.
The sisters experienced a shocking revelation about their father’s affair in 2018 when they discovered the online avatars he and Zeng used from the popular Japanese anime Detective Conan, while they were aged 12 and 7.
Fu allegedly used the character Conan as his avatar, while Zeng portrayed Ai Haibara. In the expose, the authors noted: “Ai Haibara is a fictional character, but the family that Zeng destroyed is real.”
The online document claims that Fu was always prompt in responding to Zeng’s requests, even during family holidays. The sisters also witnessed provoking messages sent by Zeng to their mother.
Moreover, despite Zeng marrying her university colleague in 2023, she reportedly continued her affair with Fu.
Two years ago, Fu left the family, prompting their mother to manage the mortgage and care for her two daughters alone, resulting in a weight loss of 15kg.
The older sister confronted Fu at a university leadership meeting, compelling him to sign an agreement to provide monthly child support of 5,000 yuan (US$750).
Notably, Fu’s annual salary exceeds one million yuan (US$150,000).
The expose also accuses Fu and Zeng of misappropriating university research funds for personal use and questions Zeng’s academic integrity.
Zeng graduated with a PhD in 2018, became an associate professor in 2020, and advanced to professor a year later. She has also been recognised among the Young Talent of the National High-Level Talent Special Support Programmes.
Additionally, Zeng has been accused of depriving other students of first authorship on publications or using Fu as a ghostwriter for her articles in leading journals, including Nature Materials and the Journal of the American Chemical Society.
As of now, neither Fu nor Zeng has publicly addressed the accusations. The SCMP reached out for comments but did not receive a response by the time of publication.
On September 3, Wuhan University officially announced that it had received the whistle-blower material on August 19 and would conduct an investigation into the matter.
A representative from Anhui University confirmed that they have also initiated an investigation regarding Fu.
Both institutions vowed to share the results of the investigation once completed. No parties have been suspended from their positions.
While many sympathise with the suffering endured by the two young daughters over the past decade, some suspect that the expose may have been written by Fu’s wife in her daughters’ voice, given certain phrasing used in the document.
Lawyer Zhou Zhaocheng from Beijing Anjian Law Firm noted that if the universities find evidence of professional ethics violations or academic misconduct, Fu and Zeng could face removal from their positions or even dismissal.
Conversely, if the material is deemed to exaggerate the facts, the whistle-blower may be held liable for defamation. -- SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST
