Minor Car Accident in China Reveals Man Was Dating 17 Women

A relatively minor traffic accident in Changsha, Hunan Province, China, has turned into a bizarre and widely shared story online after it revealed that a single man was simultaneously dating 17 women, with each one under the impression she was his exclusive partner. The incident quickly generated major buzz on Chinese social platforms and news outlets.

The man, identified in reports only as Mr. Yuan, sustained minor injuries in the collision and was taken to a local hospital. When medical staff contacted his emergency contacts to inform them of his condition, a steady stream of women arrived — each believing the hospitalized man was their boyfriend.

Each Woman Thought She Was ‘The One’

According to the coverage, every woman who showed up at Mr. Yuan’s bedside believed she was in an exclusive romantic relationship with him. Some had been seeing him for years, and — astonishingly — one of them even had a child with him, while another claimed they were planning to get married.

The revelations shocked friends and family, and left many observers on social media baffled that a single person could maintain such extensive deception for so long. Despite dating multiple women concurrently, Mr. Yuan was reportedly skilled at covering his tracks, keeping tight control of his phone and communications so that none of the women discovered the others.

Mr. Yuan’s ex-wife, with whom he had been married for two years, weighed in on his ability to juggle relationships, saying in interviews that he had a knack for telling each girlfriend exactly what she wanted to hear and that he rarely let his phone out of his sight — even going to the bathroom with it — to avoid exposure.

Money, Manipulation, and Arrest

The situation grew even more complicated when it emerged that several of the women had been financially supporting Mr. Yuan over extended periods, with one dating partner reportedly providing financial support for nine years.

After the series of revelations came to light, authorities ultimately arrested Mr. Yuan on fraud charges, with some reports describing how the deception extended beyond relationships and into financial misrepresentation. The arrest shifted the narrative from merely a strange love scandal to a case of alleged financial exploitation.

China Man Shocks Netizend

As news spread on Chinese social media and beyond, netizens expressed shock, amusement, and criticism in equal measure. Comments ranged from disbelief at the sheer number 17 — often joking that this was “relationship record-breaking behavior” — to concern over the emotional and financial harm inflicted on the women involved. Observers also noted that finding out someone you trusted was heavily deceiving you would be traumatic, even aside from the unusual number of relationships.

Some online commenters reflected on the story as symptomatic of broader issues with modern relationships, online dating, and emotional trust, while others focused on the audacity of maintaining so many concurrent relationships without detection — until a relatively mundane event like a car crash exposed it all.

Psychologists who commented on the viral coverage in various Chinese outlets suggested the case highlighted how communication norms and digital boundaries can undermine transparency in relationships, especially when a person is highly skilled at managing multiple conversations and identities online and in person. While most discussions were light-hearted, others stressed that emotional harm and deception had real consequences for those involved.

What This Story from China Reveals

Though the accident itself was described as minor and the injuries were not life-threatening, the revelations it triggered have captivated audiences. It stands as an unconventional example of how unexpected events — even a small traffic collision — can unravel elaborate personal deceptions, and how quickly those revelations can spread in the age of social media.

Moreover, the additional fraud allegations mean this is no longer just a curious love-life story, but also a legal case with potential repercussions for Mr. Yuan beyond heartache and embarrassment for the women involved.

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