But Always (2014) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Yongyuan disappeared because he wanted Anran to pursue her dreams at Columbia without the burden of his criminal past. Having become involved in dubious dealings to fund her education, he believed his presence would only complicate her future. His sacrifice was meant to give her a clean slate in Manhattan, even though it left her feeling abandoned.

Foreshadowing: Earlier, Yongyuan had already shown his willingness to make sacrifices when he stayed by Anran's side through their shared childhood trauma, establishing his pattern of prioritizing her well-being over his own happiness.

• yongyuan
• columbia university
• disappearance
• sacrifice
• abandonment

The film mentions Yongyuan became involved in 'dubious dealings' to support Anran's educational aspirations, though the specific nature of these activities is not detailed. He amassed a fortune through these means purely to ensure she could afford her medical studies. This moral compromise sets up the central tragedy of their divided lives.

Foreshadowing: After being taken away by his uncle in 2002, Yongyuan had to navigate life independently, which likely led him down this darker path.

• yongyuan
• money
• education
• dubious dealings
• fortune

Yongyuan discovered Anran's location serendipitously through Michael's artwork. As Yongyuan was searching for her using the fortune he had accumulated, he came across a painting by Michael that either depicted Anran or featured her somehow. This artwork served as the bridge that connected their disparate lives and led to their reunion.

Foreshadowing: The film establishes that Anran had moved to Manhattan and was involved with Michael, a painter, creating the circumstances for this artistic discovery.

• yongyuan
• manhattan
• artwork
• reunion
• discovery

Their love remained irrevocably fractured because they had grown into fundamentally different people. Anran had built a new life in Manhattan with Michael, pursuing her own path, while Yongyuan had compromised his morality for years in pursuit of finding her. The accumulated years of separation, combined with his criminal background and her new relationship, made reconciliation impossible despite their continued emotional connection.

Foreshadowing: The recurring cycle of separation throughout their lives, first by the uncle in 2002, then by Yongyuan's disappearance before Columbia, had already eroded the foundation of their relationship.

• anran
• yongyuan
• reunion
• fractured love
• separation

Yongyuan chose to be Anran's loyal companion because they shared a profound bond through their mutual loss, both had lost their mothers in a devastating earthquake. This tragedy created an emotional refuge between them, and Yongyuan's dedication manifested in his remarkable ability to recognize her footsteps, demonstrating the depth of his devotion over their twenty years together.

Foreshadowing: The earthquake that claimed their mothers is introduced early in the film as the foundational event that unites them.

• yongyuan
• anran
• companionship
• earthquake
• loyalty

Yongyuan returned to Beijing seeking to reconnect with Anran after their long separation. By 2012, Anran had transformed into a determined pre-med student, and their reunion was bittersweet, filled with joy at seeing each other again but also marked by the weight of their years apart. This return marked a pivotal moment in their ongoing search for each other.

Foreshadowing: The timeline shows they had been separated since 2002 when Yongyuan's uncle took him away, making his return a logical step in their recurring pattern of reunion and separation.

• yongyuan
• beijing
• 2012
• return
• reunion

Yongyuan's guardian passed away, leaving him vulnerable. After this death, Yongyuan's uncle stepped in and took him away abruptly, severing his connection with Anran. This event marks the beginning of their painful cycle of separation and forces both characters to navigate their futures independently, fundamentally altering the trajectory of their relationship.

Foreshadowing: The film establishes early on that both characters have experienced loss, making this guardian death another instance of instability in Yongyuan's life.

• yongyuan
• guardian
• uncle
• separation
• 2002

Anran became romantically involved with Michael, a temperamental painter, while in Manhattan. Their relationship was characterized by intense passion, though Michael's possessive nature complicated her life. Given Yongyuan's sudden disappearance before she left for Columbia, Anran naturally moved on, finding companionship with someone whose artistic intensity paralleled her own ambitious drive.

Foreshadowing: Yongyuan's disappearance right before Anran's departure to Columbia created the emotional void that allowed Michael to enter her life.

• anran
• michael
• manhattan
• relationship
• painter

Irrevocably fractured means their love was permanently damaged beyond repair. Despite reuniting and still caring deeply for each other, the years of separation, Yongyuan's moral compromises, and Anran's new life with Michael had created an unbridgeable gap. They could acknowledge their enduring connection but could not overcome the reality that they had become too different to rebuild what they once had.

Foreshadowing: The bittersweet tone established throughout the film, with its recurring separations, prepares viewers for this outcome where love alone is not enough.

• irrevocably fractured
• love
• ending
• bittersweet
• separation

Anran's transfer in 1982 initiated the entire narrative. Her sophistication made her stand out, evoking both curiosity and suspicion among classmates. This introduction set the stage for her unique position at the school and began her connection with Yongyuan, who would become her devoted companion for the next two decades.

• anran
• 1982
• transfer
• school
• beginning