Sun Meng has been given the cold shoulder by his community after the extraordinary picture of him cowering naked outside the flat were posted on the internet.
The terrified 25-year-old fled from the balcony window when he was caught in bed with the man's wife at the married couple's flat in Chengdu, central China.
Photographs of the anrgy showdown, taken by a startled neighbour, were uploaded to a local community website.
They show Sun perched on the first floor ledge while his lover is confronted by her un-named husband inside.
"My family is ashamed and none of my own neighbours will talk to me any more," said Sun.
"I know what I did was wrong but I was afraid he would kill me.
"People are even laughing at how I look naked - but I have to point out it was a very cold day," he added.
Chengdu, capital of the Sichuan province in south-western China, has a population of about 11 million.
In 2003, the Chinese government relaxed its traditional hold over the private lives of its subjects by allowing them to marry without the permission of their bosses.
The government published three lengthy documents dealing with marriage laws and population control.