ETYMOLOGY
The Rise of "Ernai" Culture: A Mirror of China's Social TransformationThe term exploded during 1990s Shenzhen's economic boom, when Hong Kong businessmen maintained mistresses across the border. The 2012 Lei Zhengfu scandal was a watershed moment - his mistress Zhao Hongxia leaked compromising videos that led to his downfall, earning her the ironic title "anti-corruption ernai".
Recent developments include:
"Ernai Villages": Luxury complexes where mistresses are housed collectivelyWeChat-era dynamics: Mistresses now demand monthly allowances via digital red packetsAs Xi's anti-corruption campaign intensified, over 60% of graft cases since 2015 involved exposure by mistresses. This created the cynical saying: "The best CCDI inspectors sleep in corrupt officials' beds" (CCDI being China's top anti-graft agency).