Chapter 512: Wrap-up

Jiang Heng smiled, said nothing more, and began to eat with his head down.

Zhang Ruoxi, however, felt a bit nervous, wanted to say something, but didn't know where to start.

"Hmm, Director Jiang, have you ever thought about when to get married?"

Zhang Ruoxi didn't know why she suddenly blurted that out; she really didn't know what to talk about!

"Let's ask about family—Jiang Heng's family situation has long been exposed online."

His father passed away in 1997, his mother remarried, and supposedly they have little contact, and it seems he has few relatives.

As for romance, there are many rumors online, and she doesn't dare to inquire.

Asking about assets seems even worse.

Or we could ask about future life plans—if you're willing to talk, talk; if not, forget it! Jiang Heng put down his chopsticks, smiled, and said, "I really haven't thought about this!"

"Why?"

"It's not that meaningful!"

"How can you say that? Only after marriage do you have a home!"

"Then I've been homeless for years!" Jiang Heng said with a laugh.

Zhang Ruoxi was startled and hurriedly waved her hands, "Um, that's not what I meant!"

Jiang Heng put down his chopsticks, lit a cigarette, took a puff, and said, "I might not get married after all!"

"Why?"

"Nowadays, marriage is only a legal basis for dividing property; it protects nothing else!"

Zhang Ruoxi thought, "You must have too many female confidants and don't know which one to settle with, hence saying that!"

However, she dared not say that out loud, gave an "oh," and also started eating silently.

Jiang Heng, however, asked about her parents; Zhang Ruoxi said her father had already come to Jingcheng and was currently scouting what business to do.

Her mother remained in their hometown of Leqing, taking care of her younger siblings.

"Is it because of their schooling?"

Seeing Zhang Ruoxi nod, Jiang Heng said, "Like this, I'll call Manager Li (Li Xiaoping) later and have her help you sort it out!"

Zhang Ruoxi was overjoyed and kept thanking him repeatedly.

Jiang Heng narrowed his eyes, chuckled, and said, "No need to say those things—just act well, work hard to help me make money, got it?"

"Understood!" Zhang Ruoxi replied playfully.

After the meal, Jiang Heng drove Zhang Ruoxi back to the hotel where the crew was staying, then returned to his nearby mansion.

Just as Zhang Ruoxi returned to her room, the door opposite opened; the little assistant in pajamas looked surprised and said, "How come you're back?"

Zhang Ruoxi went straight into her room, tossed her bag aside, flopped onto the bed, and said, "I went to visit the set; of course I have to come back after eating—where else would I go?"

"Surely you went to see Director Jiang? Did he give you any hints, or say something in the car?" the assistant said with a look of shipping them.

Zhang Ruoxi yawned, looking a bit dejected; recalling Jiang Heng's behavior today, there seemed to be no hint of romance at all!

She shook her head and said, "No, not at all!"

"No way—you're so young, pretty, and have a good figure; you shouldn't have zero thoughts!" the assistant said in a tone of analyzing a case.

Zhang Ruoxi said, "Perhaps I really just don't feel that way; I think he's more like an older brother!"

"Ah, definitely not—if you're his sister, there's no drama!"

Zhang Ruoxi said, "There was never anything anyway! Geez, I'm exhausted, I'm not chatting with you!" After saying that, she pulled a corner of the blanket over her face.

The assistant, in a tone of frustration, said, "You know how hard it is for those female stars to get a meeting with Director Jiang? Don't waste this chance, or you'll regret it later!" Zhang Ruoxi continued to "play dead," and the assistant, seeing that, left.

"He wouldn't really treat me like a sister, would he?!"

The next day, at the Three Body 2 set, continuing filming, seeing Jiang Heng unchanged, Zhang Ruoxi couldn't help but feel a bit down.

But the following day, going to the Great Wall set to film her cameo together, it again stirred her heart.

Time passed day by day; by early June, all indoor shots were finished. The Three Body 2 crew moved overseas to start outdoor filming.

First stop was Norway in Northern Europe, with snow-capped mountains, lakes, and forests.

By the lakeside, there was also an estate centered around villa cottages, exactly matching the film's requirements; the crew would shoot here the scenes of Luo Ji and Zhuang Yan living in seclusion.

Norway has a sparse population, and the locals don't really chase stars; throughout the shoot, they were hardly disturbed.

But when they arrived in Paris to film, it was a completely different situation.

This is a city famed for romance, passionate and fervent, with people from all over the world who have an artistic vibe.

Looking at the flawless version one by one!

Although Jiang Heng's works are purely commercial blockbusters with no artistic flair, due to his fame, many blonde‑blue‑eyed beauties still gather near the set to watch.

Some even bolder ones come up directly to ask for Jiang Heng's contact info, or leave a room key.

Jiang Heng naturally refused; even banquets hosted by local Chinese tycoons were declined on the grounds of being busy with filming.

Afterwards, the crew flew to Haolaiwu, where they filmed the United Nations scenes, as well as those of several other "Wallfacers."

By the end of June, the Three Body 2 crew had finally wrapped up completely.

Impressed by the film, North American distributor Columbia Pictures held a grand wrap‑party for the crew.

Besides the crew's core members, many Haolaiwu stars also came to show support.

One by one, upon seeing Jiang Heng, they greeted him like old friends, very warmly catching up.

Following behind, Zhang Ruoxi looked stunned; though her grades were average, she discovered that Jiang Heng knows Norwegian, French, and English.

As for English, that's understandable since he grew up in Xianggang; but Norwegian and French—truly, I don't know how he learned them.

"Ah, after tonight, there really won't be any chance!"

The little assistant appeared like a ghost, holding a highball glass, seemingly out of nowhere.

Zhang Ruoxi sighed, gestured to the assistant to look at the woman across from Jiang Heng, and said, "Look at what they're wearing, how revealing—do you think I still have a chance?"

The assistant also sighed, "Indeed, it's not even on the same scale! Ah, I was still thinking that if one attains the Dao, even chickens and dogs ascend to heaven, and we'd live a life of eating well and drinking spicy together!"

Zhang Ruowei patted her on the shoulder and laughed, "It's fine, I'll work hard too!"

I think my rise to power is more reliable than counting on your effort; in this world, many things aren't useful just because you work hard.

So pessimistic at such a young age?

That's called being clear-headed!

……

After the banquet, the crew of Three Body 2 returned to the country.

After Jiang Heng finished the post-production work on the film, he moved on to the pre-production preparations for Alien Crossroads, including editing, approval, promotion, etc.

With the help of the Super Microcomputer, editing is a matter of minutes.

Getting approval is also easy; nowadays Jiang Heng is a hallmark of Chinese-language cinema, and under normal circumstances the film passes approval without a single cut.

As for the film's promotion, Jiang Heng first cut a trailer to release online, quickly sparking widespread praise and discussion. (End of chapter)