A popular newspaper, the Southern Metropolis Daily, carried a full-page letter from a mistress to her lover's wife - or at least that is how it appeared.

There were suggestions that the letter was an elaborate teaser advertisement for a brand of cosmetics.

"Dear,

I would suggest you let go because the outcome is predictable. The good man belongs to the woman who takes good care of herself. I wish you would wake up and start over."

The letter was signed by someone using the name Zhang Tai.

Not surprisingly, the advertisement triggered massive online debate.

According to the newspaper's website, the newspaper has a daily circulation of over 1.83 million, and income from advertising in 2012 exceeded 3.5 billion yuan ($571 million).

By Tuesday noon, the advertisement on the online version of Southern Metropolis Daily, which was on page GA16, had been replaced by an advertisement for a website, which can be found at http://epaper.oeeee.com/G/html/2013-08/20/node_4557.htm