Twenty-five years ago, director Xue Xiaolu brought the issue of domestic violence into the public eye for the first time through the television drama *Don’t Talk to Strangers*, drawing widespread attention to the violence hidden within everyday life. More than two decades later, she has released her new work *Dangerous Liaisons*, shifting her focus from ‘physical violence’ to the more covert yet equally destructive phenomenon of ‘psychological manipulation’ (PUA). Xue Xiaolu points out that society’s early understanding of violence was largely confined to the level of ‘physical harm’, whilst overlooking the dangers of verbal oppression and psychological control. At the time, many people viewed verbal attacks as merely a ‘bad temperament’ or ‘ordinary arguments’, and had not yet developed a clear understanding of psychological violence. Over time, PUA gradually spread and became industrialised in China: it emerged around 2007, expanded on a large scale after 2010, and reached its peak around 2018, even forming a training industry chain. This ‘systematic, replicable’ pattern of manipulation has made psychological violence more covert and deceptive. Unlike the sporadic verbal abuse of the past, PUA often employs carefully designed strategies—such as crafting an ‘elite persona’—to lower the victim’s guard, thereby achieving gradual psychological control. A widely publicised PUA case served as a key catalyst for Xue Xiaolu’s creation of *Dangerous Liaisons*. After reading reports on the matter, she was deeply shaken and felt a strong sense of empathy, particularly for the plight of the young victims. As a mother, she realised that in contemporary society, the emotional risks faced by young people are increasingly complex, and that PUA represents a ‘danger lurking within intimate relationships’. Consequently, she sought to use this film to reveal the essence of this issue. To enhance the authenticity of the work, the creative team adopted an unconventional approach—conducting an undercover investigation by anonymously joining a PUA training course. They gathered course materials, chat logs and industry jargon, and invited experts from the fields of psychology, law and public security to provide guidance. For instance, the ‘step-by-step manipulation techniques’ and specific terminology featured in the drama are all derived from authentic sources. This approach of delving deep into reality ensures the work possesses not only artistic merit but also significant social research value. Following the broadcast of the series, it drew criticism from some viewers who argued that it ‘exploited women’s suffering’. In response, Xue Xiaolu firmly rejected this view. She believes that the core task of realist art is to ‘reveal overlooked realities’, rather than to shy away from pain. Just as war-themed works are not intended to exploit suffering but to ensure history is remembered, the portrayal of violence serves to make victims visible and drive social change. She also pointed out that the broadcast of *Don’t Talk to Strangers* in earlier years had, to a certain extent, contributed to greater societal attention to domestic violence and institutional reforms. Consequently, she hopes this new work will similarly draw public attention to psychological abuse. Compared to physical violence, psychological violence remains difficult to define and punish within the legal framework. In many serious cases, perpetrators face virtually no legal consequences, reflecting the gap between the system and reality. Furthermore, Xue Xiaolu emphasised that the term ‘PUA’ is used in a ‘vague’ manner in reality. Not all criticism or conflict constitutes PUA; the key lies in ‘whether there is systematic manipulation and malicious intent’. In earlier works, victims often sought to escape violence through ‘flight’. In *Dangerous Liaisons*, however, the female characters rely more on cognitive awakening, the gathering of evidence, and social support to fight back. This shift not only reflects a heightened sense of female consciousness but also demonstrates progress in social support systems, such as legal aid and psychological counselling. Xue Xiaolu has always maintained that artistic creation should focus on ‘the corners where the sun does not shine’. She believes that exposing problems is a prerequisite for driving social progress; portraying suffering serves to alleviate real-world suffering; film and television productions can serve as a vital starting point for public discourse. Consequently, *Dangerous Liaisons* is not merely a television drama, but also a social warning: within intimate relationships, control and manipulation may be harder to detect than violence, yet they are equally dangerous.