DISCLAIMER: Although PBD is very well written novel that pulled me and many others out of reading slump because of how captivating it is, it is NOT for the faint of hearts. If you are looking for a sweet love story, you should just walk away and read something else. The ML is NOT a good guy, the MC loves him nonetheless. If you have low tolerance for assholes ML, you should just save yourself the trouble of reading because the story will simply make your blood boil and you will hate reading this. ಥ_ಥ

However,  if you have high tolerance for assholes ML and you are looking for an angst-filled and character-driven story, PBD is very enjoyable. It is questionable and debatable among readers whether the scum ML has redeemed himself in the second arc of the story, so I'm also warning that ending may NOT be satisfactory depending on one's subjective opinion.  ╮(╯_╰)╭

But reading this might color your viewing experience of the ongoing series (the novel is THAT well-written), so I highly recommend you consider your ability to separate the novel from its adaptation because it's better to have manageable expectations for better viewing experience. You can also read PBD after the series end as well.

Here are some content/trigger warnings: ABUSIVE lover, noncon sex, house arrest, wife-chasing crematorium, scum male lead, dog blood drama, regret + misunderstandings

You can read it here if you decided to start reading. ƪ(˘⌣˘)ʃ 

Link: https://rosyspell.wordpress.com/rebirth-the-unique-substitute/

Note: DON'T read the extra chapters at the prologue part, they're meant to be the last chapters but the translator put it there. You should start from chapter 1 onwards. Happy reading (´▽`ʃ♡ƪ)

 

I read the novel after watching the first episode. I finished it within 3 days. The Mc made my heart ache. He's too pitiful.

I feel you. I finished it in 24 hours last November after the adaptation news was announced and it was the first novel to pulled me out of my reading slump for months. It's so angsty and painful for Zhou Xiang but the author is so good at writing such a compelling story.

Read this in 2 days as soon as i found it.  And MC finally grew a back bone for 4 seconds and then lost it. I've been looking for something to read and obssess over for a few months now and this really did caught my attention. Still reeling from it. 


Tho i wonder that if the show will follow this timeline. 12 ep is too loess for all the drama and troops this novel has. Maybe they'll focus on some of the book canon. 

I have an extremely low tolerance for abuse and toxicity in a romance story but somehow I wound up finishing the novel in a day or so and even re-read it. Still despise Yan Ming Xiu as a character, still adore Zhou Xiang as a character even when he gets love-brained (the guy is so smart yet such a moron when it comes to YMX...) and this was one beautifully written and captivating novel.

Definately not for the faint of heart, but just wanted to give my two cents that if you have a low tolerance for abuse and a*hole characters like me but still want a great story and compelling characters it's still worth a look. 

(Side note, I'm also very impressed with the adaption so far).

Hi, where are ya'll reading this, i really want to read it but the link is saying that the novel is not there. If there is anywhere to read it please let me know.

 Saanvi:

Hi, where are ya'll reading this, i really want to read it but the link is saying that the novel is not there. If there is anywhere to read it please let me know.

here's the link: https://rosyspell.wordpress.com/rebirth-the-unique-substitute/ if it doesn't work, just search "professional body double" in google, that's the name of the novel

 julia:

here's the link: https://rosyspell.wordpress.com/rebirth-the-unique-substitute/ if it doesn't work, just search "professional body double" in google, that's the name of the novel

Thank You

 Carla Do:
PBD is very well written novel

Thank you. It is surprising interesting (for me).  

Is it worse than Addicted for abuse and toxic relationship?  Thanks in advance.

 Not a Robot:

Is it worse than Addicted for abuse and toxic relationship?  Thanks in advance.

Umm, so full spoiler, read at your own risk. I haven't read addicted so i dont know much of the toxicity there. Ming is obsessive and doesn't take no for an answer like the drama. As for abuse part,. Ming is abusive in a sense that he wants joe for himself and not anyone else. He also (only once) hits him and ties him up but i think we saw that in drama too, what different is that he actually has sex with Joe while he's tied up unlike the drama where joe manipulates him.

 surrealdelicacy:

Umm, so full spoiler, read at your own risk. I haven't read addicted so i dont know much of the toxicity there. Ming is obsessive and doesn't take no for an answer like the drama. As for abuse part,. Ming is abusive in a sense that he wants joe for himself and not anyone else. He also (only once) hits him and ties him up but i think we saw that in drama too, what different is that he actually has sex with Joe while he's tied up unlike the drama where joe manipulates him.

Thank you for the info and warning.  Addicted has actual SA, as many older yaoi novels of the time.  

 Not a Robot:

Thank you for the info and warning.  Addicted has actual SA, as many older yaoi novels of the time.  

No problem. If you need to know anything else. You can ask :) 

 Not a Robot:

Is it worse than Addicted for abuse and toxic relationship?  Thanks in advance.

this is very tame compared to addicted.  It doesnt have the same brutality that addicted does.  And what I was surprised at after watching the first 4 episodes and then reading the novel, was the big age gaps between the characters. And how after becoming the new Joe their ages became much closer, But Ming was still really young in the book 21 at the start (and I guessed about 22 in the series, but no way after watching the series did i think that Joe was in his 30's) Because the actors looked a similar age.  

 Saanvi:

Hi, where are ya'll reading this, i really want to read it but the link is saying that the novel is not there. If there is anywhere to read it please let me know.

https://rosyspell.wordpress.com/