China's reverse Ashley Madison: how ditching mistresses and saving marriages became big money
Consultants persuade women to leave married boyfriends - often at the behest of the wives
Connor Ding from Zhaoqing in Guangdong province is China's answer to Will Smith, as seen in the 2005 movie Hitch, about a self-taught dating consultant who figured out the mystery of winning women's hearts, thanks to two of his ex-girlfriends who cheated on him.
But that is not how the 28-year-old became famous. Over the past weeks, he has been interviewed on television, radio and in print to discuss his newly successful business - how to get rid of mistresses.
"Every man cheats if he is unhappy in love, including myself," Connor told the South China Morning Post recently. But he was quick to stress that he was happily married.
"People cheat because something is missing in their marriage, whether it is sex appeal, respect or love … We help people to take control of their relationship by teaching them how to address and resolve problems and gain back their partners, which often involves getting rid of a third party," he said.
Cheating is universal, as seen in the Canadian-based dating website Ashley Madison, which billed itself as the site for people seeking extramarital affairs.
In China, mistresses are no less common than elsewhere, and ditching them is a bizarre yet highly sought after service in demand mostly by women with rich husbands.