Wang Zhenxi, a young woman from Luoyang, Henan Province, is known as one of China’s premier “mistress persuading teachers”, professionals who convince mistresses to end their affairs with married men. Extramarital affairs are frowned upon in virtually all cultures around the world, but China is perhaps the only country in the world to have not one, but at least two professions that deal specifically with this type of relationship. One is the “mistress killer,” a type of detective/vigilante that helps scorned wives reveal their husbands’ infidelities and also exact revenge on the mistresses. The other is the “mistress persuading teacher” who relies on more diplomatic techniques to convince mistresses to end their affairs and allow their partners to return to their families. One such persuasion master was recently profiled by a major Chinese newspaper, after it became known that she had once managed to persuade over 800 mistresses in a single year.

Photo: The Paper

Like Zhang Yufen, the mistress killer we featured a few years back, Wang Zhenxi, one of China’s most successful mistress persuaders, was inspired to take on her affair-ending mission by personal experiences. Her father cheated on her mother when she was growing up, so she learned first-hand the negative effects extramarital relationships have on a family. Later in life, after getting married, she also had to deal with her own husband’s infidelity. Wang recently told The Paper that her now-ex-husband married her only to please his own parents. He was actually still in love with his ex-girlfriend, and soon after their wedding, the two resumed their romantic relationship When she became aware of his cheating, Wang filed for divorce and, relying on her personal experience in dealing with mistresses, she became one of China’s premier mistress persuading teachers.

Photo: The Paper

Love makes us all blind, and mistresses are no different. This is the key concept that persuasion teachers keeping mind when performing their mission. Unlike mistress killers, who don’t shy away from humiliating and even beating mistresses in public, professional persuaders focus on getting close to their targets and making them see the error of their ways through peaceful means. Wang herself said that after being contacted by a client – usually a cheated wife, whose identity is never revealed to third parties – the first step is identifying the mistress and trying to get close to her. That usually involves a period of surveillance followed by shadowing (following her around in the places she frequents) and eventually befriending her.

Photo: The Paper

It is Wang’s belief that being the proverbial third wheel is an uncomfortable situation for mistresses, and they almost always open up about it to the right person. When this happens, they use a variety of arguments to convince them to end the affair and move on with their lives. The argument invoked depends on the situation of the mistress, whether they have children with their partner, or how long they have been seeing them for. Convincing a mistress to end their affair is not easy, and many times persuasion experts like Wang Zhenxi have to go the extra mile. This involves getting to close to their families and friends, revealing the affair to them and having them assist in convincing the mistress to end her relationship.

Photo: The Paper

Other times, she employs psychological methods and tactics inspired by the legendary Sun Tzu to sow division between the mistress and her lover, which, when successful, end in a breakup. In some cases, the solution lies in helping the mistress socialize more, helping her interact with other men and realizing that she has other options than being someone’s “side piece”. However, there are certain cases when the probability of success is too little. Wang said that if, after analyzing a case, she concludes that she has less than a 60 percent chance of success, she will abandon the mission and return her fee to the client.

Photo: The Paper

The Covid-19 pandemic and ensuing lockdowns were a particularly busy time for mistress persuasion masters in general, and Wang Zhenxi in particular. She constantly shuttled between major cities, helping women deal with their husbands’ infidelities. Such affairs were fueled by the frequent quarrels caused by couples being cooped up together for long periods of time, with no ways to vent. Wang told The Paper that she managed to persuade around 800 mistresses in one year, a feat that won her a sort of superhero status among her peers, as well as record commissions. One person was so impressed with her results that she offered Wang 300,000 yuan ($44,500) to study under her.

Photo: The Paper

“In addition to earning money, I can help more people return to happy families,” Wang Zhenxi said. “That is the most fulfilling part of this job.”