Sisters' detailed complaint accuses father and his former student of misconduct
Two sisters, aged 20 and 15, published an 86-page expose online accusing their father, a former Wuhan University professor, of a decade-long affair with his doctoral student, now a professor. The document also alleges misuse of research funds and questions the student's academic integrity. The sisters discovered the affair in 2018 through shared anime avatars.
The 86-page document targets Fu Lei, 47, who now serves as vice principal at Anhui University, and Zeng Mengqi, 35, a current professor at Wuhan University. Beyond the affair, the expose alleges the pair misappropriated university research funds and challenges Zeng's scholarly credentials.
The sisters first uncovered the relationship in 2018 when they noticed matching avatars from the anime Detective Conan used by their father and Zeng. At that time, the girls were just 12 and 7. The online publication has since ignited widespread discussion across Chinese social media platforms.
This expose could significantly impact public trust in academic integrity and institutional oversight. Universities may face pressure to scrutinize faculty-student relationships and research fund allocation more rigorously. The sisters' public action might encourage other individuals to report misconduct, potentially leading to broader accountability measures. However, it could also place immense personal and professional strain on the accused, while prompting institutions to reassess their internal ethics protocols and support systems for whistleblowers.