"Let's run it again. Verse two into the chorus. This is your chance—make it count."
Lixue nodded mutely, her throat tightening as the music track cued up. The melody swelled in her ears, a familiar rhythm she had rehearsed countless times, but today, it felt alien. Her mind was elsewhere, weighed down by memories of her grandfather's solemn words and the sight of her mother's fragile frame in the hospital.
She opened her mouth to sing, but her voice faltered halfway through the first line, the note shaky and off-pitch. She immediately stopped, her heart sinking as the music abruptly cut off.
The producer's sigh echoed through the room, heavy with disappointment. "Y.L., what's going on? You're not hitting the notes, and you're completely out of sync with the track. This is basic stuff!."
"I'm sorry" Lixue said, her voice muffled as she bowed in apology. She bowed her head, clutching the lyrics sheet tighter.