起初……才……, ……，此后……: at first… only later…, thereafter
【高92】【高93】复句 / complex sentences (承接)
Tone colorsā tone 1á tone 2ǎ tone 3à tone 4a neutral
起初 A，(后来) 才 B tells a story in two stages: 起初 ("at first, originally") sets the first state, and 才 marks that the next stage only comes later ("only then…"): 他起初没明白，后来才理解了游戏的规则. The second stage is signalled by 后来, by 才, or by both. 起初 expects a sequel: it contrasts the beginning with what changed afterwards, and a sentence that stops at 起初 leaves the reader waiting.
A，此后 B: 此后 ("from then on, thereafter") points back to a moment already given in the text and says what followed: 我们三年前见过一面，此后再也没有见过. It is itself the time anchor: you say 此后三年 ("the next three years"), never 此后的三年前.
Register: written and formal, typical of narrative, reports and scientific talks ("at first we feared…, thereafter…"). In speech people prefer 刚开始 or 以后 (hsk2-g73), which need their own time anchor (三年以后).
Examples
他起初没明白，后来才理解了游戏的规则。
Tā qǐchū méi míngbai, hòulái cái lǐjiě le yóuxì de guīzé.At first he didn't understand; only later did he grasp the rules of the game.
我们起初不想参加，只是不好意思拒绝，才去了那里。
Wǒmen qǐchū bù xiǎng cānjiā, zhǐshì bù hǎoyìsi jùjué, cái qù le nàlǐ.We didn't want to take part at first; we only went because we felt awkward about refusing.
这家公司起初只有三个人，后来才慢慢发展成一个几十人的团队。
Zhè jiā gōngsī qǐchū zhǐyǒu sān ge rén, hòulái cái mànmàn fāzhǎn chéng yí ge jǐshí rén de tuánduì.The company started with only three people and grew only gradually into a team of several dozen.
我们三年前见过一面，此后再也没有见过。
Wǒmen sān nián qián jiàn guo yí miàn, cǐhòu zài yě méiyǒu jiàn guo.We met once three years ago and have not met since.
她二十岁结了婚，此后丈夫生病，她照顾了四年。
Tā èrshí suì jié le hūn, cǐhòu zhàngfu shēngbìng, tā zhàogù le sì nián.She married at twenty; after that her husband fell ill, and she cared for him for four years.
去年冬天他做了一次手术，此后一直坚持每天散步。
Qùnián dōngtiān tā zuò le yí cì shǒushù, cǐhòu yìzhí jiānchí měi tiān sànbù.He had an operation last winter and has kept up a daily walk ever since.
Common mistakes
✗ 起初他明白了。 → ✓ 起初他不明白，后来才明白。 (起初 expects a later stage that corrects it).
✗ 此后的三年前 → ✓ 此后三年 (此后 is itself the time anchor: do not combine it with 前).