Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon Page #3

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GOVERNESS:

Someone is after Jade Fox.

Preposterous, looking for her here!

Madam Yu nods and walks inside, as the Governess tosses the

flyer away and follows her.

A hand scoops up the flyer -- it is Yu. She studies it,

then puts it in her pocket, and moves on.

EXT. BRIDGE - DAY

Bo is searching for the Tsais. The bridge is full of

jugglers. But the two are nowhere to be found.

EXT. PEKING STREET - DAY

Bo quizzes a homeless man.

BO:

Where are they?

HOMELESS MAN:

I don't know. I haven't seen them

in two days.

Bo is about to give up when he looks up and sees May walking

quickly into an alley. Bo follows her.

EXT. IN FRONT OF TSAI'S HOUSE

May walks into a dilapidated house surrounded by a broken-

down bamboo fence. Bo inches closer and sees May and Tsai

oiling their weapons.

INT. BO'S ROOM - DAY

Jen practices calligraphy. The governess is by her side

embroidering and throwing occasional glances at Jen. The

maid enters.

MAID:

There is a Miss Shu Lien here to

see you.

Jen stops and looks up at them.

GOVERNESS:

Miss is busy right now.

MAID:

I'll tell her.

JEN:

Show her in.

The governess shoots her a look.

GOVERNESS:

This spells trouble.

JEN:

I have a guest.

The governess gets up to leave just as the maid shows Yu in.

MAID:

This way please.

The governess and Yu exchange quick glances. The governess

bows slightly and departs.

JEN:

I've missed you.

YU:

How so?

JEN:

I'm bored.

Yu sees the calligraphy.

YU:

You're doing calligraphy?

JEN:

I'll write your name. Just for fun.

Jen writes Yu's name with great confidence and swiftness.

YU:

I never realized my name looks like

"sword."

Jen freezes slightly.

YU:

You write gracefully. Calligraphy

is so similar to fencing.

JEN:

Maybe it is. I wouldn't know.

The maid enters with tea.

JEN:

Please.

YU:

Thank you for seeing me. I hear

your wedding day is near. You must

be overwhelmed by the preparations.

JEN:

I'm hardly doing a thing. The less

I think of it the better. My

parents are arranging everything.

The Gous are a very powerful family.

My marrying one will be good for my

father's career.

YU:

You are fornuate to marry into such

a noble family.

JEN:

Am I? I wish I were like the

heroes in the books I read. Like

you and Li Mu Bai. I guess I'm

happy to be marrying. But to be

free to live my own life, to choose

whom I love... That is true

happiness.

YU:

Do you think so? Let me tell you a

story.

JEN:

About you and Li Mu Bai?

YU:

Yes. Did you know I was once

engaged to be married?

JEN:

No, really?

YU:

His name was Meng Si Zhao. He was

a brother to Li Mu Bai by oath.

One day, while in battle, he was

killed by the sword of Li Mu Bai's

enemy. After, Li Mu Bai and I went

through a lot together. Our

feelings for each other grew

stronger. But how could we dishonor

Meng's memory? So the freedom you

talk about, I too desire it. But I

have never tasted it.

JEN:

Too bad for Meng, but it's not your

fault, or Li Mu Bai's.

YU:

I am not an aristocrat, as you

are... but I must still respect a

woman's duties.

JEN:

Don't distance us. From now on,

let's be like sisters.

YU:

Then as a sister, let me wish you

happiness in your marriage.

EXT. YU'S GARDEN - DAY

The maid escorts Yu out. Yu pauses, looks around, and sees

the profile of the Governess peering at her from around a

corner.

INT. JEN'S ROOM - NIGHT

Moonlight spills into the room, as Jen rises sleeplessly

from bed and looks out the window. A light breeze stirs her

hair. The sound of the wind rises, and slowly her face

dissolves, into...

INT./EXT. CARRIAGE/MONGOLIAN DESERT - DAY

...the face of a younger, less sophisticated Jen, as she

lets the dry desert air flow through her hair. She sits in

a carriage, part of a caravan, with guards on horseback,

that is traveling through the spectacular desert. Across

from her sits her mother, of whom she is barely cognizant.

MADAM YU:

What a godforsaken place! Can't

your father be appointed closer to

civilization? Jen... are you

listening to me?

Jen is still looking out the side of the carriage, at a

beautiful mountainside.

INT. JEN'S ROOM - NIGHT

Jen sighs, and turns back toward her bed.

EXT. STREET OUTSIDE GOVERNOR YU'S COMPOUND - NIGHT

Tsai and May have been sitting, hidden in the branches of a

tree, watching Jen.

TSAI:

Let's go!

They drop down silently and walk away. From another rooftop,

Lo looks silently on.

EXT. TSAI'S HOUSE - NIGHT

Tsai and May enter the house.

INT. TSAI'S HOUSE - NIGHT

Inside the tiny house, they discover a hooded figure going

through their belongings.

Immediately Tsai throws a knife, which rips off the figure's

mask -- revealing Bo. Tsai has another long knife at his

throat.

TSAI:

Who are you?

BO:

Wait! I'm a friend!

Tsai pauses.

INT. TSAI'S HOUSE - NIGHT (LATER)

May fans a small coal-fired grill that is boiling a sizzling

pot of vegetable and meatball soup. Her father and Bo are

now friendly dinner companions, much to May's delight.

TSAI:

I don't care about your sword.

BO:

Why were you spying on the Yus?

TSAI:

I'm looking for someone. Jade Fox.

I'm a police inspector from Shaan

Xi, Gen Su district. Jade Fox is a

master criminal. I hear she

infiltrated the Yus. She must have

come with them when they transferred

here. But with Yu's reputation, I

can't just go in and accuse her.

BO:

This Jade Fox is a woman?

TSAI:

Yes.

BO:

Then leave her to me.

TSAI:

Pardon me, but I doubt you can

handle her. My wife was quite a

martial arts expert. Jade Fox

killed her. So you see, this is

personal. Leave her to me.

MAY:

It's ready!

(re:
the soup)

BO:

I'm ready for anything!

Bo fishes into the pot with his chopsticks. May intercepts

him with her own chopsticks.

MAY:

Father gets first dip.

Tsai stiffens and snaps his chopsticks, not to pick up a

meatball but to catch an incoming dart. A dart wrapped with

a note. Bo jumps up.

TSAI:

They're gone.

MAY:

What does it say?

TSAI:

"We'll settle this at midnight on

Yellow Hill." Good, the fox is out

of her hole.

INT. TE'S STUDY - NIGHT

Yu is ushered into the room, to discover Sir Te talking to

another man, whose back is to her.

SIR TE:

Shu Lien, look who's here.

The man turns around -- it's Li Mu Bai.

EXT. TE'S HALL - NIGHT

Yu and Li Mu Bai sit together.

LI:

Sir Te believes it's a ploy cast

suspicion on Governor Yu.

YU:

But something is going on at the Yu

household.

LI:

What have you discovered?

From her sleeve, Yu removes the flyer. Li takes it, his

face darkening.

LI:

Jade Fox? Impossible.

YU:

You always suspected she'd fled to

the West.

LI:

I didn't think she'd dare come back

to Peking!

YU:

Is there any place safer than under

the nose of Governor Yu?

LI:

So I shall avenge my master's death

after all.

YU:

Be careful. Sir Te requires

discretion. Official business is

difficult enough. Don't let

personal feelings make it worse.

And I don't know... even this

poster... could be some sort of trap.

LI:

Did you see who posted it?

Yu pauses.

YU:

No.

LI:

It says Jade Fox is hiding at Yu's.

On the night of the theft there was

a brawl near Yu's. Were you

involved?

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